Picked up the three Toronto newspapers Monday morning; each had the front page headline about the executive changes at Research in Motion that were made public late Sunday night, (I was caught up watching the 49’ers – Giants NFC Conference overtime final that ran rather late and had taken time off from the Internet.)

It’s been some time since I wrote a post about RIM and Blackberry. In fact, the last one was about the announcement of the appointment of long-time acquaintance Alec Saunders as Vice President, Developer Relations. Alec has certainly made an impression with developers as shown on Twitter; the comment on the right showed up yesterday morning.

Yes, I caught up with Alec at CES where I was not only able to check out the Playbook OS 2.0 but also got to have a look at the Porsche equipped with QNX firmware and three Playbooks. But more importantly was how attending CES – not at the booth but in discussions as I walked around the show – reinforced my conclusions after watching RIM’s quarterly report last fall, when they announced delays of the launch of the new OS 2.0 for Playbook. At the same time I was reading the Steve Jobs bio and how he made sure that product showed up on time. I also have had a chance to check out the current Playbook – great hardware but lacking in applications that make it a “must have” to carry around. And there’s my own experience over the years not only observing technology business restructurings but also participating at a senior management level in a NASDAQ-listed company restructuring with all the associated performance pressures. The technology may change but the business management issues don’t. The bottom line was that RIM had significant internal operations problems showing up publicly as an inability to execute. It only got further reinforced by the December announcement of delays in the launch of a QNX-based Blackberry.

Here’s my viewpoint:

1. As became really obvious after announcing the delays not only of OS 2.0 for Playbook but also Blackberry phones , the number one priority for RIM is to fix the internal processes for managing execution to deadlines. Reading the Steve Jobs bio at the time of this announcement (and having had my own experience working under a “driven” CEO) brought this point home. Steve simply would not let a deadline be changed; he may have been a bit off the deep end and erratic at times but he ensured that Apple had the execution leadership and team required to meet deadlines.  The first benchmark for the “new” RIM will be the launch of OS 2.0 for Playbook in February; certainly the demos at CES looked promising. And the recent price reduction on Playbook simply became a way to seed 800,000 units in preparation for the upgrade (aside from getting this hardware off the inventory line of RIM’s balance sheet). Those 800,000 users are now positioned to provide their own feedback.
2. The second benchmark was reinforced by the new CEO’s comment made in 2005 while at Siemens about the future of smartphones: “The end user is not concerned with the technology behind the service, they’re concerned with the applications they can get.”  About the same time over six years ago Alec Saunders wrote his “Voice 2.0 Manifesto” where he emphasized that “applications are the value creators”. And I have to say that my experience with the Playbook 1.0 was underwhelming. While it possesses great hardware and there have been some interesting applications, it lacks not only the number of applications but, even more importantly, some critical applications. So my second benchmark relates to application development:
   1. We need to see some critical common applications, starting with Skype which badly needs a mobile platform that supports true multitasking and battery management. Dropbox and Kindle for the Playbook are two others that should easily be able to take full advantage of QNX’s inherent multitasking and multiprocessor functionality. Yes, you can access some of these, such as Dropbox, via a web browser but it’s not the simplest user experience. Skype would make it possible to converse with any of their over 200 million active users on any platform. In today’s communications and social networking world Skype is critical to any communications platform.
   2. We need to see an evolving base of third party applications. As Alec pointed out in his presentation at RIM’s North America developer conference last fall, RIM’s developer program for Blackberry phones has been actually the second most successful smartphone in terms of revenue generated for developers. Other developer conferences in Singapore last fall and Amsterdam next month are indicators of developer enthusiasm; certainly attendance at Singapore demonstrated significant attention in the southeast Asia market – and the Amsterdam developer conference is sold out. But there are several issues that need to be addressed to facilitate developer interest including legal ones (make the agreement short and simple) and having a sufficient tool set in a decent time frame that encourages developers to participate in new product launches. (Alec did acknowledge some of these issues at his presentation last fall.)
   3. BlackBerry App World needs significant improvements. Yes new versions have been coming out but… Having to reboot the device when installing certain new programs or upgrades does not cut the mustard. It must also be able to handle multiple upgrades on a single action. iOS certainly sets the benchmark here in terms of the user experience.
3. Thirdly  there is the expectation that there is some “Messianic” Steve Jobs out there who can solve RIM’s problems as CEO. It ain’t goin’ to happen; there was only one Steve Jobs. Recently we have seen examples at, say, Yahoo and HP, where bringing in “experienced” CEO’s has been a failure. Appointing someone with internal experience also brings along an exposure to RIM’s processes and personnel that allows more rapid implementation of internally required changes (such as execution). Tony Bates at Skype has also demonstrated that it helps to bring along a combination of both technology expertise and running high tech business operations to make things happen; again his focus has been on execution. A priority on appointing the right Chief Marketing Officer will hopefully bring in significant outside experience beyond simply marketing to a key vacuum currently existing at RIM. At the same time, let’s hope the board can recruit a couple of significant “technology company” directors from, say, Silicon Valley to contribute to the experience spectrum and strategic executive networking.
4. Then there’s one other key role for a CEO: Establishing and rebuilding key business relationships is one additional benchmark for measuring the new CEO’s success. One responsibility for any CEO is to build and maintain credibility, especially when it comes to dealing with key business partners, not only major software vendors, carriers and suppliers but also with business customers – all at a CxO level.  While they certainly built a major player in the wireless industry, with all the recent turmoil it became apparent that Mike and Jim had burned themselves out. As shown at Microsoft with Bill Gates becoming Chief Software Architect (in the years prior to his retirement), it is necessary to keep on board the founding visionary in a consultative role for at least a couple of years. Mike Lazaradis can continue to bring technology experience and vision that can benefit the company as long as he remains a reference resource and not an impact on operations.
5. Finally on the issue of break-up. It’s not an option; a breakup would destroy the company. As mentioned when the Playbook was first launched, RIM has a significant portfolio of wireless and handheld device assets. It also has services such as its network operations centres that ensure both security and minimum wireless spectrum overhead. But history shows that one needs to control the entire ecosystem to have a successful product line – need I mention Apple? On the other hand RIM’s technology, especially with QNX and its user base, opens doors for unique applications (as shown with the Porsche demonstration). It’s the integrated options available that can create the true value. The challenge here is to find the “killer” apps or set of apps that can uniquely distinguish Playbook and BlackBerry as real time communications devices and not simply a content delivery device. Thorsten explains it quite well in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cQyZKukGQ8

Bottom LIne: RIM is turning out to be an interesting business case study. Here’s a company that has over $20B in annual sales, $1.5B in cash, 75,000,000 users, no debt and so far has remained profitable. It has a major patent portfolio and unparalled wireless expertise in areas such as security and efficient data delivery. Without QNX we would not even be having this discussion and RIM would really be struggling – their old OS had outgrown its viability. In  some ways RIM is in a position most “startups” would be envious to be in.

Yet there’s the declining market share in its major market where it can only offer its current product line for another six to nine months; however, it’s still a major market leader in many other markets (U.K., Indonesia, etc.) Yet, by its new CEO’s admission it’s still got “traces of a startup”. RIM is certainly in a reboot stage but … can it re-establish itself with the combination of new market positioning, internal restructuring and a culture change to more disciplined operations? The real focus needs to be on fixing the internal operations as much as on external marketing. Unfortunately this was only buried in one CEO video from RIM whereas the media and analysts wanted to feed on sound bites about “no need to change the overall strategy”.

The only way to really measure performance of a new CEO is to set benchmarks. Presented here are five major ones that must be addressed in the next six to nine months if RIM is to succeed. As mentioned in this interview with a local Kitchener-Waterloo radio station, Thorsten needs time to demonstrate he can provide the team leadership required to pull this off.

Here’s a Financial Post story about a change that’s been in play for the past few months: Ottawa taking centre stage in RIM’s future.

(The Tweet above appeared as i was writing this paragraph. “Porter terminal” is the downtown Toronto airport; Bay St. is the Canadian equivalent of Wall Street.)

Full disclosure: My first interest is in seeing over 8,000 Canadian jobs (not to overlook all those in other countries) preserved but while meeting a market need. But this video also demonstrates the impact of RIM on the Kitchener-Waterloo community.

I have an iPad (and had an iPhone until it was lost recently – yes, I’ll replace it), a BlackBerry Torch 9800 and a Playbook. Having them all is necessary to fully understand the dynamics of the market. (I’ve had some exposure to Android devices and many acquaintances with them.) Apple’s record quarterly performance results announced yesterday certainly reinforce the need for RIM to find a unique market niche; even Tim Cook at Apple recognized that the Amazon Fire is first and foremost an e-reader and not a tablet competitor to iPad.

While in the past I have held RIM shares (since 1998) at the moment my holding is minimal.  I have never worked at RIM nor had RIM as a client. I have frequently visited Waterloo and its university for over thirty years and have attended most of their annual meetings during that time.

My only other bias probably arises from the fact that I also hold advanced degrees in Physics and Business; the combination of a physicist and experienced technology business person can be brutal when it comes to seeking success. You learn to pay attention to details, delegate, set goals and yet understand where opportunities can arise. (And I once worked for 18 months in Germany as a physicist in a business environment.)

Related articles

• Interview with Alec Saunders, VP of Developer Relations and Ecosystem Development (blogs.blackberry.com)
• QNX: RIM’s last hope? (business.financialpost.com)
• RIM CEO: QNX to Be BlackBerry’s Foundation for a Decade (phonescoop.com)
• CES 2012: RIM Pins Hopes on PlayBook 2 Software (forbes.com)

Skype for iPad launched two days ago and has become an instant hit at the Apple App Store. In fact, according to AppiAnnie, which tracks sales at online stores, Skype for iPad was #1 download on the Apple App Store in 86 countries on launch day. This lead continued into the next day.

This response is certainly a measure of the intensity of anticipation; “Skype for iPad” has been a popular search term on Google for that past several months.

And a few comments based on my experience over the past two days:

• Voice quality – definitely as good as the experience using the iPhone.
• Collaboration – as a participant but not as a host! While you can follow a Group Chat or be a participant in a multi-party voice call via Skype for iPad, you cannot create any form of multi-party conversation. There is no “Add to call” feature anywhere; you cannot add/remove participants to/from a chat session. You must create and host the multi-party conversation in Skype for Windows or Skype for Mac.
  

  3 Party Call

• Video calls – while you cannot send video on the original iPad you can receive video calls on it. Have had a couple of good call experiences with it. Of importance is that video calls be received from contacts using Skype for Windows, Skype for Mac, Skype for iPhone/Android or Skype for TV.
• Notifications: once I had installed Skype for iPad I started receiving an iPad notification every time someone put a message into a Chat session. When you have over 400 Contacts, this can quickly become annoying. Go to the iPad “Settings”, scroll down to Skype (and make sure you select Skype for iPad – showing as version 1.0.1273 until there is an update), select Notifications and turn Sounds and Alerts “Off”.
• Battery drain: more than 24 hours after my last recharge with Skype for iPad open throughout, my battery is down to 55%. Certainly more than acceptable than the iPhone experience if you charge your iPad overnight on a daily basis.
• USB Headset – No! while Dan reported success using a USB headset via the Camera Connector when using the original Skype for iPhone on the iPad, I encountered an unacceptable level of choppy audio when attempting to use a USB headset. If you need a headset for, say, privacy reasons, use the 3.5mm headset jack on the iPad.

Bottom line: With battery life more in the background as an issue, the challenge now is determining under what circumstances I would use it:

• when out of the house and have a WiFi connection, whether via a WiFi Access point or the Personal Hotspot feature of my iPhone¹
• in my office as a backup when my PC is not available (rebooting or running too many other programs such that call quality deteriorates)
• as a speakerphone where maybe 2 to 4 people are listening
• (with iPad 2) as the default video phone, provided the iPad 2 can be located appropriately for capturing the video image (probably using one of the “stand” type covers)

But only ongoing experience will demonstrate where I end up using Skype for iPad. Certainly it adds to the “attache case” content I discussed when iPad was first announced. After all we often carry a mobile phone in a brief case.

¹Using the Personal Hotspot feature of the iPhone helps to consume the 6GB monthly data plan available on my iPhone – which otherwise never gets over 1GB – and saves the monthly fee for an iPad data service – especially since I seem to use well over the minimum level Rogers offers in its iPad data plans.

Related articles

• Skype for iPad: Creating a Default Video Phone for Consumers? (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Skype Now Optimized for your iPad (blogs.skype.com)

Yesterday Apple released FaceTime for Mac, making its popular iPhone 4 Facetime application available to all owners of MackBooks and iMacs that are using the Snow Leopard (OS/X 10.6) operating system. Most significant about this announcement was the immediate expansion by several million of the user base who could be reached on FaceTime calls. (3.89 million Macs were sold in Apple’s most recently reported quarter.)

The limitation for video calling (and any real time communications service) has always been how many users can really use the service, given the interoperability limitations. As pointed out by former Skype CEO Josh Silverman in an interview at CES last January, when Skype launches a service, such as video calling, it is immediately available to the over 100 million active Skype users in a quarter.

Other attempts at video calling services, such as Logitech’s Vid, are limited to either other users of supported Logitech webcams or any third party offering using Logitech Vid software but there was no contact base built up to communicate with.  Two or three years ago Rogers attempted to launch a wireless video calling service but nobody had the mobile handsets required to make and receive video calls; the service has at best languished. The launch of FaceTime on the Mac will certainly significantly expand the user base who can experience video calling, even if limited to WiFi or Ethernet connections.

So how does FaceTime for Mac work? Download the application from Apple’s website and install it. It will initially ask for an email address to be associated with your FaceTime for Mac. You then are given your own image along with a list of Contacts, which comes from your Mac Address Book. My initial call was to fellow blogger, Dan York, during which I found he could be accessed on his iPhone 4. I simply clicked on his mobile number and the call was made. Dan then associated his FaceTime for Mac with a personal email address and we then made a subsequent MacBook-to-MacBook call.

Orientation: on the iPhone you can change the orientation of the image simply by rotating the iPhone where its accelerometer automatically changes the orientation. On the MacBook it is necessary to mouse over your own image and a circular arrow icon will appear; click in the icon and the image goes from portrait to landscape (or vice-versa, as appropriate).

Dan has reported on our calls in Hands-On with Apple’s new FaceTime for Mac (Screenshots). He outlines three issues: How do you shut the video off? What about Windows? and the implications for Standards?

My own issue is this. FaceTime is pretty well a stand alone video calling application; it does not even link into iChat. Skype video calling is accompanied by an entire ecosystem of real time communications tools that allows concurrent chat sessions (I always like to ask if someone can take a call), file transfer, or multi-party calling. So it works when the daughter reluctantly wants to show her new braces to her Dad (watch an iPhone 4 TV ad) but there’s no chat session for sending the bill to Dad. Phil Wolff makes some interesting points in Skype beats FaceTime for Mac: 18—13.

Can you use other webcams than the Mac’s Built-in iSight webcam? Yes, I subsequently made a call to Alec Saunders using the FREETALK Everyman webcam on the MacBook Pro; it may be my personal perception but I thought it gave a better quality image, but have no evidence as to how this would have appeared at the other end.

And, as for the use of your Mac webcam for other video applications mentioned by Dan? I made some more calls that beg to differ with Dan’s thoughts on this; but that’s the subject of a separate post.

Bottom Line: FaceTime for Mac will give millions of more users the ability to experience video calling. The market usage is far from saturated and we’ll be seeing ongoing innovation such as multi-party video calling (now in Skype for Windows 5.0) and perhaps more services offering video calling on smartphones. (BlackBerry/RIM – are you following this?). Will we eventually see interoperability?

But the bottom line will be how many parties can you call using a service. The race for users has become serious. One certain call: the next version of iPad will definitely have webcam support. An obvious way to add more millions of end points for FaceTime.

Related articles

• Apple Fights Back In Video Chat With FaceTime for the Mac (newteevee.com)
• Why FaceTime And Not iChat? (crunchgear.com)
• Apple introduces FaceTime for Mac (macworld.com)
• Skype beats FaceTime for Mac: 18 – 13 (skypejournal.com)

When I first saw the antenna band completely surrounding the iPhone 4 during Steve Jobs’ initial presentation, I recalled a comment made to me by RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaradis after a RIM Annual General meeting a few years ago. And I should also mention that I personally have a history of dealing with rf and associated antennae during my days working as a physicist in the Magnetic Resonance (“MR”) research and commercial space where all MR spectrometers and imaging systems are embedded with what amounts to enclosed radio stations operating in the FM radio and conventional television channel frequency ranges.

So I was skeptical about how that iPhone 4 antenna would work from the time of the initial announcement. And when fellow blogger and Twitter aficionado Luca Filigheddu took a poll earlier this week as to whether one would prefer a BlackBerry 9800 (the model that’s heavily speculated but not yet announced) or an iPhone 4 I could not resist the opportunity to  respond as shown above.

Three points:

• Mike’s comment when he saw me holding a BlackBerry 8700 a few years ago with my hand wrapped around the upper left corner was to the effect that I should avoid having my hand around that area as that is where the rf antennae are located. But it’s pretty easy to hold your BlackBerry while avoiding one corner of the device. Yesterday to check out the “Jobs test” I took up the “death grip” challenge presented by CrackBerry.com’s Kevin Michaluk and found “if I death grip my Bold 9700 the bars stay no matter what”. Seems like the rf engineering has improved going from the 8700 to 9700.
• From the rf physics point of view: Mike spent a lot of time at last year’s annual shareholders meeting (2009) talking about how RIM relies on internal basic physics research to assist in the design of BlackBerries, including an extensive discussion about their rf technology research. He is, after all, the energizer around the establishment of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics; while its researchers are free to pursue whatever research they see appropriate this investment is probably not totally altruism when it comes to understanding the physics behind wireless smartphones.
• In my fifteen years’ experience with Magnetic Resonance instrumentation, perhaps the most frustrating aspect was to get the rf engineering right. You can get there (or we would not have the high quality images we see with today’s MRI studies) but you need to understand the physics behind it and have lots of patience.

After drafting the above commentary yesterday afternoon very late Friday CrackBerry.com put out a rather strongly worded statement from RIM co-CEO’s Jim Ballsille and Mike Lazaradis:

“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.” [Author's bold]

Bottom line: Steve Jobs may be a marketing genius but he ain’t no rf engineer or Ph.D. physicist. It’s all coming out in the iPhone 4. But even his marketing genius is degraded when he endeavors to justify the iPhone 4’s current problem by attempting to demonstrate rf issues with competitor products. “Bumper physics” does not solve the problem; not to ignore the resulting degradation of the overall appearance. It’s time for Apple to do their own antenna research, Steve.

Once iPhone 4 is finally available in Canada I don’t know that I’ll be rushing out for any special upgrade offer Rogers may come up with. And by then, maybe we’ll be seeing some new BlackBerry models, including those that are the subject of speculation.

P.S. –“Sans” – the French expression for “without”.

Full disclosure: Both Kevin Michaluk and I are on Rogers for our wireless carrier which offers a highly reliable 3G/HSPA+ service. Is there also an AT&T infrastructure issue involved here? We’ll only find out when iPhone 4 launches in Canada July 30. For completeness, the author has been the owner of a minuscule number of RIM shares since 1998.

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• RIM co-CEOs pull no punches responding to Apple’s antenna statements (engadget.com)
• RIM responds to Apple ‘Antennagate’ press conference (zdnet.com)
• Official statement from Research In Motion in response to Apple’s … (Kevin Michaluk/CrackBerry.com blogs) (techmeme.com)
• RIM: “Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable” (slashgear.com)
• Nokia And RIM Respond To Apple’s Antenna Issues (thenextweb.com)
• Steve Jobs Claims BlackBerry Bold 9700 Has Antenna Issues (blackberrycool.com)
• Apple Sets Up Cots for Engineers Solving iPhone Flaw (businessweek.com)

Launch of the iAttaché (woops, iPad) has certainly generated lots of social media coverage: blogs, Twitter and Facebook are full of comments and reviews. 300,000 sold; over a million Apps downloaded, etc. Since it’s not available yet for Canadians (except those who made the trip to Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago and Seattle, for instance, last weekend) I cannot comment yet on the user experience; however, it appears that iAttaché is still a valid description of this appliance (sorry, folks, it’s not a computer and it’s not an iPod! – I’ll have more to say in a separate post).

Apple left out the “Phone” application for a reason: iPad is not a suitable form factor for consumers experienced with traditional handset-size (smart)phone devices. But I have received voice calls and engaged in chat discussions via acquaintances who have been using Skype for iPhone on the iPad. In addition Truphone was first out of the blocks to launch a VoIP client specifically for the iPad.

As for Skype running on the iPad:

• It runs the legacy Skype for iPhone application with an option to view it in “double resolution” mode applicable to running all iPhone apps on the iPad.
• Skype has released, via the App store, an interim upgrade that addresses a couple of “iPad teething problems”. (Downloaded it to my iPhone this morning.)
• Skype intends to release an iPad-specific version that makes better use of the additional real estate available on the iPad’s larger display; this would be especially useful for chat sessions.

Questions:

• Will the Skype for iPad release be accompanied by the forthcoming release of Skype for iPhone that incorporates the Skype SILK codec to take full advantage of the associated voice quality?
• Will AT&T’s network be sufficiently robust to run Skype for iPad reliably over 3G?
• Leaving Skype for iPhone open on my iPhone will drain the battery within three to four hours; how much will Skype for iPad impact the iPad’s acclaimed and confirmed much longer battery life? (In this regard, the lack of multi-tasking probably will act as a governor on battery consumption as soon as one goes to another iPad application).

As for Truphone for iPad, John Biggs has a video over at Crunch Gear and concludes:

The app worked quite well and if you’ve used it on the iPod Touch you’re familiar with the call quality – standard – and ease of use – standard. It’s great for making quick calls from abroad, however, and until Skype goes iPad we’re kind of stuck with it.

Obviously this doesn’t match a real calling application that I doubt will be included in the 3G version of the iPad. However, for calls in a pinch this is a great solution.

One final comment and an unabashed plug for the FreeTalk Everyman headset: using the iPad’s native speakers for voice conversations will make your session “public” to anyone within hearing distance. Should you wish more privacy or not to annoy those nearby you, use the FreeTalk Everyman for Skype’s 3.5 mm speaker jack plugged into the iPad. You’ll still need to use the iPad mic and there’s no need to reset any Audio settings since it’s simply the speaker output being used.

Bottom line: Skype and Truphone will allow users to determine the conditions and market size under which they wish to conduct voice and chat conversations using the iPad as an end point device. And it sure fits as one more device for Skype Everywhere.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FreeTalk Everyman headset, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

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• Who Says The iPad Cannot Be Used As A Phone?!? (geardiary.com)
• Truphone for iPad Turns Your Tablet Into a TabletPhone (techcrunch.com)
• Boingo Adds An “Apple Wireless” Option for WiFi-on-the-Go (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Reprise: Is WiFi Becoming the Unregulated Stealth Carrier of the Future? (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Skype for iPhone 1.3 Released (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Skype for Mobile – Now Focusing a True Skype User Experience (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Skype’s SILK Codec: Working Towards Adoption as a Standard (voiceontheweb.biz)

In the past I have written about how WiFi is becoming the de facto unregulated stealth wireless carrier; I have also mentioned Boingo as a service that provides significant convenience when on the road, with its 125,000 access points at airports, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and other public locations worldwide.

Over the past year Skype has added Skype Access as a feature of the latest versions of both Skype for Windows (4.2) and Skype for Mac (2.8) which provides another WiFi access option at the same 125,000 Boingo access points. It’s what I would call a “last resort” option in that its convenience also comes at a premium price starting at over $0.20 per minute. Obviously it is limited to work over PC’s, whether Windows or Mac.

Today there is a new option for Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch owners only: purchase “Boingo WiFi Credits” via the Apple App Store. For $1.99 you get one hour of iPad, iPhone (or iPod Touch) connectivity over WiFi. Ideal for those who do not have a Boingo mobile account but occasionally need WiFi access at an airport or hotel to make a Skype or Truphone call. From the press release:

Consumers can purchase the $1.99 Wi-Fi credits in advance or at the time of connect simply by confirming the purchase using their iTunes account login. The credits can be redeemed for 60 consecutive minutes of Wi-Fi access at a single Boingo hotspot, and can be used at any of the more than 125,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide.

Apple mobile device owners can purchase as many credits as they want. Those users who buy credits in blocks of ten will be rewarded with an additional free credit.  The credits are good for up to one full year after purchase.

Available under “Boingo WiFi Credits”, initially on the U.S. and Canadian Apple App Stores. An interesting alternative for those who do not need the ongoing access available through Boingo’s Mobile WiFi offering.

To summarize the various Boingo offerings:

• For PC’s: Boingo Unlimited Americas, Boingo Global (subscriptions) or Skype Access (occasional use)
• For iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch:  Boingo Mobile (subscription) or Boingo WiFi credits (occasional use)
• For all other WiFi enabled smartphones: Boingo Mobile (subscription).

Bottom Line: one more option to connect via unregulated wireless access.

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• Buy Wi-Fi Access Through iTunes [Apps] (mashable.com)
• Traveling in a Bipolar Mobile Mode (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Coming Real Soon Now: Skype for iPhone over 3G (voiceontheweb.biz)
• Apple’s iPad: Why iAttaché Would Have More Cachet! (voiceontheweb.biz)
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All the hype leading up to Wednesday’s announcement of Apple’s new iPad has been complemented by all the post-launch posts and reviews. Many are disappointed that it’s not Apple’s implementation of a “netbook” PC while others for some strange reason think it should include a phone.

But it’s neither – it’s not a PC; it’s not a phone; it simply uses Apple’s technology, content and transaction resources developed for its PC and iPhone to launch a new category of electronic devices. In reality it’s an electronic version of a briefcase (or attaché case) which can contain everything we carry around with a roughly 8.5″ x 11″ (or A4) form factor. Consider the items we would carry around in a briefcase:

• newspapers and magazines
• books
• a binder or notebook containing contact information, appointment calendar, notes, logs, etc.
• business and personal documents
• letters and other mail items/packages
• reference documents such as maps, timetables, schedules, dictionaries
• clipboard
• 8.5″ x 11″ (or A4) notepad (blank, lined or grid)
• writing instruments: pens, pencils
• photographs (often in frames)
• single purpose DVD, Video and audio media players

So when we look at the features of the iPad presented yesterday, it appears a more appropriately descriptive name of the device would have been iAttaché:

• New York Times news media application
• iBooks
• Safari browser to access news, reference content and other web-based information
• email support
• personal information manager (contacts, calendar, tasks)
• Adobe reader
• iWorks (word processing, spreadsheet, presentations)
• Google Maps (3G supported version includes a cellular assisted GPS)
• multi-touch screen incorporating a touch keyboard
• Photo Manager (and serves as a photo frame)
• Media Players (video including YouTube, iTunes – but no Flash player)
• support of third party iPod and iPhone applications of which many include reference information

And for my $0.02 worth, this is where Steve Jobs and the Apple team have found their market niche:

• It’s an application specific device – an interactive electronic briefcase
• It’s not, and was never intended to be, a PC; it’s definitely not a phone (it just takes advantage of many technologies and features initially developed for the iPhone and iPod Touch devices)
• Its 10″ display is a very familiar size for many of the applications mentioned above
• with the either of the two dock options it can sit on a table top as a picture or document frame or or for watching videos conveniently
• It’s developed around Apple’s technology expertise with displays, graphics, multi-touch screens; it’s built around their iPhone OS, iTunes, iPod and App Store resources. However, it continues Apple’s philosophy of providing devices that are real easy for users with little or no technical expertise to set up and use.
• It was never intended to be a smartphone or a PC – it’s an electronic attaché case

The Phone Issue: To Skype or Not To Skype?Many are disappointed by the fact it’s not a phone; however, that issue was best addressed by this photo and an accompanying comment found on an acquaintance’s social networking:

Look at this picture of Steve Jobs holding his iPad. How would he hold it up to his ear to be a phone handset?

The iPad form factor definitely is not appropriate as a phone handset. One does not put a traditional attaché case up to the ear; a briefcase is designed to be carried with the arms down.

However, with the iPad’s built-in mic and speakers and placing it into one of its docks, it is anticipated that it can become a speaker phone where one can make Skype voice calls over a WiFi access point, using Skype for iPhone – given the claim that all iPhone applications are supported. For more privacy the user could also put the FREETALK Everyman headset’s speaker plug into the iPad’s 3.5 mm headset jack. It’s also worth recalling Skype for iPhone’s ability to support Skype chat sessions. (Did anyone notice the absence of iChat support?)

(And we’ll have to see if Skype calls could also be made over the 3G data connection supported by iPad now that Apple has supposedly removed its restriction on making VoIP calls over a (3G/HSPA+) carrier network. But also there may be a caveat.)

The Camera Issue:

How would you hold this up to be either a photo or video camera? iPad comes nowhere near an appropriate form factor for any type of camera. I already have enough trouble holding my Canon Digital Elph steady to do an HD video; that’s why I have a tripod.

And cameras on mobile phone handsets and other handheld mobile devices are largely a compromise when it comes to more than low quality photos suitable for web use. iPad lets you do your photography on dedicated cameras, which produce high quality results, and then process and store them on your electronic attaché case which incorporates a high quality display.

Bottom Line : iPad is a misleading name for this device; it should have been called iAttaché. Why?

• It’s designed to create an entire new device category and the “pad” analogy only represents a portion of what it really is – an electronic briefcase or attaché case
• It actually positions the product much better with the target consumer market, especially as a prestige device deserving of a premium price. Definitely “iAttaché” has more cachet in the prosumer market.
• Whereas the iPhone is primarily an information delivery device, the iPad does add the ability to create documents but then a briefcase will often hold pen/pencil and paper for the same purpose.
• Third party applications along with the Safari browser will often serve the same reference function as items such as maps, schedules and timetables but incorporating much more intelligence and, obviously, a worldwide range of content
• How many times will the names iPad and iPod cause confusion, especially when dealing with Apple for both purchases and support?
• There would be no jokes about association with certain feminine products.

Update: iPhone games publisher Ethan Nicholas has a guest post at Tech Crunch: Why My Mom’s Next Computer Is Going To Be An iPad:

The iPad is a computer for people who don’t like computers. People who don’t like the idea of upgrading their 3D drivers, or adjusting their screen resolution, or installing new memory. Who don’t understand why their computer gets slower and slower the longer they own it, who have 25 icons in their system tray and have to wait ten minutes for their system to boot up every day.

Read on…..

And it’s not just my Mom who used to expend hours of my time with these issues.

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• The Problem with the Apple iPad [Rants] (lifehacker.com)
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Early today Skype released Skype for iPhone 1.3, available as an update in the Apple App Store.

Two key new features:

Landscape Mode for Skype IM:	Call Quality Indicator

The Call Quality Indicator builds on the experience gained with the call quality indicator in Skype for Windows 4.2 beta – a tool I have found most useful in sorting out call quality issues.

Check out Skype’s Peter Parkes post where he also discusses what the roadblock is for “Calling over 3G” as well as progress with incorporating push notification. C’mon Apple – it’s time to allow Calling over 3G: AT&T says Yes, Rogers does not have an issue. What’s the hold-up (iPhone 4?)? Maybe it’s a hardware performance issue?

The first thing I noticed after downloading the update was that the application appears to operate much more “snappily” in that wait times for chat sessions to appear or even to recognize you are Online appear to be much shorter. But I need more usage experience to confirm this perception further.

With the proliferation of WiFi access points in hotels, conference sites, offices, restaurants, airports and other public places, Skype for iPhone has become a very useful calling option for me with the extensive traveling I have been doing recently. And tomorrow I will put up a post about how I use Skype for iPhone to call my BlackBerry. Eh?

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• Skype for iPhone: Now Legally Available for Canadians (voiceontheweb.biz)
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Canadian iPhone and iPod Touch users will be able to celebrate all 9’s day (today is 09-09-09) by participating in Skype conversations from their iPhone. At 12:01 a.m. the Canadian Apple App store will be making Skype for iPhone available.

Breaking news (12:04 a.m. Sept. 9): I have just successfully downloaded Skype for iPhone from the Canadian Apple App store and sent my first chat message to the Skype 5.x Public Chat session.

When Canadians woke up on the March 31 worldwide launch date of Skype for iPhone they learned they could not be amongst the over 6 million iPhone users who have since downloaded Skype for iPhone from Apple App stores worldwide, except, of course, in Canada. A shock to the country where Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first long distance call to Brantford, Ontario across a six kilometre wire from a nearby telegraph station back in 1876.

The Canadian launch of the Skype for iPhone was delayed while Skype and Apple Canada’s licensing teams worked out “ambiguity” issues related to Skype for iPhone’s use of the G729 codec in Canada. In an interview with Skype personnel yesterday I was advised these issues are now resolved with the Canadian launch set for 12:01 a.m. Sept. 9, 2009 when they will be able to download the recently released Skype for iPhone 1.2.

From the press release:

“We are delighted to bring the Skype for iPhone application to Canadian iPhone and iPod touch users as it opens up new ways for them to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues for free or minimal cost,” said Tom Yeung, Skype’s director of market development, Americas. “With more than 6 million downloads from the App Store so far, the Skype for iPhone application is one of our most popular mobile offerings so we’re delighted to say that Canadians can now also carry their Skype conversations with them wherever they go.”

Where can it be used: All Skype for iPhone features are available at any WiFi access point on both the iPhone and iPod Touch; however, when an iPhone is on a 3G wireless carrier the voice application is not available to be in compliance with the terms of Apple’s Software Development Kit licensing agreement. However, chat and presence activity can continue over a 3G carrier’s network.

To review Skype for iPhone’s feature set:

• What’s free:
  • Skype-to-Skype calls (only via a WiFi access point)
  • Skype IM: presence information and chat sessions between individuals or across groups
• What’s requires payments:
  • Calls to landline or mobile phones using either a Skype Calling Plan subscription or “pay-as-you-go” Skype Credits (requires WiFi access; connection fees may also apply)
  • Receiving calls at a Skype Online number (requires WiFi access)
  • Voicemail retrieval
  • Call Forwarding: (new in version 1.2) when the Skype for iPhone is not open on the iPhone, calls will be forwarded to the iPhone’s mobile number under the same terms as calls to landline or mobile phones.
  • SMS outbound messaging (new in version 1.2)

How useful is Skype for iPhone? when I was at a business meeting in Spain in early July, I found two North Americans using their Skype for iPhone as a “walkie-talkie” to communicate with each other while on the hotel property using its WiFi connection. Neat actually. With the rapid spread of WiFi access points as an alternative to using wireless carriers iPhone users should find many public and private (home, office) locations where they can use Skype for iPhone.

Rogers is ready to run Skype for iPhone’s voice calling over their 3G network whenever Apple removes their licensing restriction on VoIP applications employing 3G protocols. (But AT&T in the U.S. is probably nowhere near being able to handle the data traffic load that would result from lifting this restriction.)

Skype for iPhone suffers from one limitation of the iPhone: the lack of background processing. You must have the application open, not only to send and receive voice calls, but also to follow chat sessions. Hopefully the previously announced Skype for BlackBerry will address this issue where the BlackBerry supports background processing.

Bottom line: with Skype chat as over 80% of my Skype activity I look forward to being able to track chat sessions while riding buses and commuter trains (but not while driving a vehicle – text messaging while driving becomes illegal in Ontario this month). And making Skype voice calls from my home as well as hotels, restaurants and other myriad of locations with a WiFi access point.

P.S. – Is it coincidence that Skype for iPhone became legally available to Canadians so soon after the announcement that 17 million Canadians will have a shareholder interest in Skype? Probably not.

• Globe and Mail: Canadians, rejoice: Skype for iPhone is here
• CBC.ca: Skype finally hits iPhones in Canada includes a more detailed discussion about the licensing issue.

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Skype today published data from a recent Zobgy survey that, aside from demonstrating smartphone users’ desire to control their own phone configuration, demonstrates that a significant majority of users in the four countries surveyed (U.S., U.K., Japan and Spain) simply are still not perceiving the potential for a mobile phone handset to be considered as having additional use beyond simply making voice calls.

While I am receiving feedback from acquaintances who are saying their BlackBerry Bold or 8900 Curve has become their mobile computer (reinforcing my own experience) the survey results conclude:

• over 62% of the survey respondents do not perceive their mobile device as an extension of their computer.
• Over 70% have never downloaded an application to their mobile phone.

What this survey really says is that awareness of the smartphone as a mobile computing device is still quite weak amongst the general public, especially in North America. Secondary to this finding are the results showing:

• Only 23% feel that they have more or the same level of control over their mobile device as they have over their computer.
• 67% want to be able to choose their mobile applications for themselves, rather than have their carriers choose for them.

Of course consumers want choice; the real issue here becomes the legacy microcomputer user issue of balancing:

• how much guidance does a vendor (carrier, PC manufacturer, smartphone vendor) provide driving users to “supported” or “authorized” applications against
• how aware is the consumer that they can actually have “freedom to choose” when it comes to not only smartphone applications but also personal computing applications.

The major difference from the early Windows 95 days of wanting to be on the Windows desktop and wanting to be immediately available on a smartphone is that the carrier, not the operating system developer, approves the user interface and smartphone configuration that is available on purchase of the computing device.

We have since seen the disappearance of “pre-configured” Windows desktop applications (how many PC’s have I installed over the past 15 years where I removed the AOL application?) with more practices such as the Dell Vostro line of business PC’s providing a minimal number of pre-installed desktop applications supporting use of the PC itself and no third party applications. It has become the responsibility of  the individual third party developers to generate market awareness and adoption on a PC platform.

The Apple iPhone started this trend within the smartphone consumer market. A basic iPhone has the necessary applications to use the phone for voice calls and text messaging along with a minimal number of third party applications such as Google Maps and Facebook. From this starting point, the user can then use the iPhone App store to choose applications that find the nearest Starbucks, tell you when the next TTC streetcar is coming, deliver the Toronto Globe and Mail or turn your iPhone into a musical instrument. No carrier control, no carrier revenue; over 20,000 applications available.

When looking at the BlackBerry, one again finds that it comes with a set of basic applications that support communications, either voice or text (including several IM applications). Users have long been able to add applications either via stores such as Handango with 1800 applications for the Bold, Crackberry App Store or a wide range of enterprise-specific applications. Today my BlackBerry can follow Twitter and Facebook via SocialScope, deliver my cable TV service to the device anywhere worldwide, make Skype calls via iSkoot or IM+ for Skype, follow the news on NY Times, Wall Street Journal or CNN (Globe and Mail, where are you?), stream video to the Internet (Qik) and use any Google service (Maps, News, Reader, Search, Sync, etc.).

The ability to download user-selected applications is here (certainly on my Rogers Wireless service). The real issue is that North Americans need to be made more aware of the potential of a smartphone to deliver value-added services and information. Only at that point will there be sufficient pent-up consumer demand to “free up the smartphone” from today’s level of carrier control.

According to the report the Spanish and Japanese “get it”; probably other European countries where the level of  carrier control of applications is much less than in North America also get it. The survey found almost twice as many Spanish have downloaded applications and perceive their mobile devices as an extension of their computing experience. When the awareness is there, the demand for user freedom to choose their applications and smartphone configuration will arise.

The bottom line:

• General awareness of mobile smartphones as more than a voice calling device still needs to be promoted heavily by both application developers and smartphone vendors
• Users perceive that they would want to have control over their smartphone applications if they know there is an huge range of non-telephony applications available.
• the younger generation will drive adoption through their personal social networks, in turn, making older generations aware of what can be done with a smartphone.
• Developers still need to market their applications, emphasizing the user experience, beyond simply having them available on the iPhone App Store or BlackBerry App World.

All it takes is for an individual to find one Starbucks, watch one television program remotely, see a live video of the grandchildren, read one time sensitive news report, have one business success story or make a free international Skype call via iSkoot or other Skype-enabled application to drive awareness amongst a broader public. In the end it’s all about demonstrating the satisfaction that results from an engaging user experience to build the necessary awareness.

Om Malik says “As Mobile Data Grows, People Want Wireless Carriers To Buzz Off”.

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… your partner fails to provide an obvious path to download and install your software.

In early July last year I wrote about the launch of Dell Video Chat, based on a newly announced agreement between Dell and SightSpeed to use SightSpeed’s video services. The bottom line was that Dell Video Chat would become available on an expanding range of Dell PC’s.What follows is a story about what turns users away from Windows PC’s and why Apple is doing so well with its iMac’s and MacBooks these days.But it also has to be an embarrassment to Dell.

As background I should say that recently I have watched as two non-tech persons have started up their MacBooks for the first time. Turn it on, asks for your name and contact information, upgrades the software, takes your photograph with the built-in webcam, finds the WiFi, connects to the Internet (and finds other PC’s on your LAN). In about 20 to 30 minutes you’re up and running. No hassles, no new software to install; it just happens!. And subsequently these people do not come back to me for technical support, especially on security, operating system upgrade and new software installation issues.

This weekend I am helping an acquaintance getting transitioned to a new Dell Vostro 220 desktop PC. Due to one critical business application that only supports a Windows installation this person could not change to a Mac. In the course of starting it up I found there was a webcam embedded onto the monitor and installed the appropriate webcam software. (No, Dell did not pre-install it even though a monitor with embedded webcam was included in the initial order.) Ran a client called Dell Webcam Central. You could take photos or record video while seated in front of the monitor.

Then I noticed in the upper right hand corner an option to “Switch to video chat”. Recalling that I had written about Dell Video Chat last summer I clicked on the link. And got a dialogue box stating: “You have not installed the video chat application ‘Dell Video Chat’. Do you want to download now?” Clicked on the “Yes” button.

This took me to a Dell web page that asked for my Dell Service Tag. Entered it and ended up on  the standard page of driver downloads for the Vostro PC. Looked through the various categories (after identifying my OS as Windows XP) and could not find Dell Video Chat software anywhere. No application downloads. Nothing about it listed in a sidebar on the same page. Nada, Did a search. No luck.

So, at this point, not being sure if I had installed Dell’s webcam software properly I installed Skype on this PC and found it recognized my webcam, including its associated microphone, with no problem. Dell had failed to provide any means (let alone a user-friendly means) to download and install the Dell Video Chat software.

Sort of defeats the purpose of having this SightSpeed-Dell agreement and the associated easy access to the relevant software somehow. It actually turned out to be easier for me to download and install Skype (and have ready access to voice and/or chat conversations with the huge Skype user base).

A couple of points made in posts since my initial one about the arrangement between Dell and SightSpeed have happened since last summer:

• Skype hired Scott Durchslag as COO. In a post about CxO’s and their persoanl business networks I pointed out that both Scott and Ron Garriques, now Dell’s President of Global Consumer Group, had worked together at Motorola.
• Logitech announced it would acquire SightSpeed in late October.

Aside from Dell’s obvious quality assurance problem described above, the sceptic in me might ask:

• Did Logitech’s acquisition of SightSpeed somehow sour the Dell relationship with SightSpeed?
• If it’s all but impossible for a somewhat technically savvy person to find and install Dell Video Chat, is there any Dell Video Chat user registered out there with whom a user could have a conversation?
• Has SightSpeed been tracking any metrics on Dell Video Chat adoption?
• Is there an opportunity here for Skype to leverage a Skype executive’s previous relationship with a current Dell executive to initiate discussions about having Dell provide Skype with all its PC’s?
• Will “Skype Everywhere” include Dell PC users when they want to hold voice, chat and video conversations simply by default? “No biz dev required.”

Just wondering …..Where’s the value in a Dell partnership? It’s all about execution!

In spite of being a 14-year purchaser of Dell PC’s, it’s one more nail in the Dell/Microsoft coffin as I contemplate a transition to a MacBook for my next laptop purchase.

And, in case anyone was wondering about what Steve Jobs brought to the table at Apple: a discipline within Apple’s corporate culture that focuses on a friction-free and overwhelmingly successful user experience. In spite of Steve’s current absence that corporate culture is not going away anytime soon.

Phil’s Observations:

• Two More Reasons why SightSpeed is good for Logitech
• Why Did Skype lose the Dell account to Logitech

SightSpeed’s CEO Peter Csathy:

• Speculation About SightSpeed’s Partnership Success — “How Did They Do It?”

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Over the past year one of the leading IP-based voice service offerings for low cost international calling from wireless smartphones has been Truphone whose service primarily runs over WiFi access points; Their more recently launched Truphone Anywhere service provides an option for making calls via 3G networks using a combination of the data channel and voice channel in a manner similar to iSkoot’s architecture where the caller’s VoIP client resides on the service provider’s server(s). When the Apple App store launched last summer Truphone launched an iPhone 3G application that once again offers the ability to make outbound calls over a WiFi access point.

One more user experience consideration: a key user friendly Truphone feature is its complete Address Book integration; when using Truphone on a N95 8GB I can simply go to my standard address book (synchronized with my Outlook Contacts), select a contact, select a phone number for the contact, press the green “Call” button and initiate a call over Truphone.

So it was not a total surprise, with this experience, that today Truphone announced a new Truphone application for the second generation iPod Touch, which supports a headset with a microphone. But it’s not simply about making low cost phone calls.  Support for chat and social networking has also been included. From the press release:

Truphone for iPod Touch will become a one-stop-shop social hub with the following features coming soon:

• Calling to landlines (PSTN) at low cost (simply set yourself up with a Truphone account);
• Instant messaging to Skype and MSN (free);
• Calling to Skype users (free);
• Calling to MSN users (free);
• Check and set facilities for Twitter (free);
• Check and set facilities for Facebook (free).

Contrary to what many in the media are saying, the client that resides on the iPod Touch is a thin client, not a VoIP client. This client supplies a Truphone server with the information required to open and set up a VoIP client on the server which, in turn, completes the call via a VoIP connection.

What can we envision from this announcement for future releases of Truphone for Nokia, BlackBerry, iPhone 3G and Windows Mobile devices? Beyond the calling and SMS features currently available in their respective Truphone clients I expect we’ll be seeing:

• Truphone access to Skype IM and calls to Skype contacts, as well as to Microsoft Live contacts
• Facebook access, including possibly the ability to import Facebook contacts into your phone address book
• Following Twitter messages

In addition, Truphone is a Voxbone iNum partner; initially Truphone for iPod Touch users will be assigned an iNum “883″ country code number. I have also recently observed use of iNum “883″ numbers on iotum’s Calliflower conferencing service and at Mobivox. Using Skype today, I confirmed that placing a Skype call to an iNum “883″ number results in a SkypeOut call with the appropriate charges.

Looks like we’re about to see some interesting innovation coming from Truphone over the next few months.

Andy Abramson at VoIP Watch talks about some of the broader implications of the technology behind this announcement.

Update: Pat Phelan does not think an iPod Touch is a phone device; it’s not simply a case of “because you can do it”.

Tags: Truphone, Skype, iPod Touch, iNum

VoIP blogger and Italian IP-communications entrepreneur Luca Filigheddu, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at eComm 2008, reports on speculation that RIM is looking to build a developer team focused on the iPhone. He points to a post on Apple Insider by Aidan Malley who has become aware of a new internal job listing at RIM that suggests RIM is “willing to jump the fence and write applications for the iPhone”:

Among the requirements are a very strong emphasis on existing experience with Mac development, including programming in both Cocoa and Objective C as well as user interface design.

Web experience with Javascript, XML, and other functions is also essential. Experiences with developing for the Mac’s Sync Services feature and interfacing with Bluetooth and USB devices are both considered assets, according to the company.

If Apple wants to enter the enterprise market with a “push” wireless email application, consider what it takes to come up to RIM’s level of enterprise market penetration with their Blackberry Enterprise Server:

• over 200,000 installations on MS Exchange, Lotus Notes (and even Novell GroupWare)
• over 200 business rules supported
• security that has been endorsed by NATO, as well as government organizations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Austria, Australia and New Zealand
• relationships with over 300 wireless carriers
• Blackberry patents on push email
• a range of products: Pearl, Curve and 88×0 series
• a broad range of third party applications, many of which have an enterprise focus

Also check out Al Sacco’s Top 10 Reasons Why the iPhone is NO Blackberry over at Crackberry.com.

On the other hand we hear rumors of a Blackbery 9000 with touch screen technology – the iPhone’s strongest selling point.And surely a feature for which Apple has patents or patent applications outstanding. RIM has already negotiated deals with Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Motorola and Palm for its Blackberry Connect which essentially licenses RIM’s wireless push email technology for use on certain of their devices such as the Nokia E-series smartphones.

I would take Luca’s speculation on RIM and Apple negotiations one step further. Each side has technology that the other requires to succeed in their respective quests for market share (and to mutually grow the overall smartphone market). If there are such negotiations under way, they’re about cross licensing each other’s patents to achieve their goals without ending up in messy and costly litigation.

Hat tip to Dan York for pointing me to Luca’s post.

Full disclosure: when I was employed in the magnetic resonance spectroscopy business three decades ago (used for determining molecular structure in chemical and biochemical analysis), I was peripherally involved in a patent settlement where both my employer and their major competitor ended up resolving some technology-critical patent disputes through a cross-licensing because each party only had part of a comprehensive solution required to advance the use of the technology. Much of that technology has since been licensed by GE, Siemens and others to develop the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Tags: Blackberry, RIM, iPhone, Luca Filigheddu, Apple Insider, Aidan Malley, Blackberry Connect, Al Sacco, Crackberry.com

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