I guess it brings all sorts of benefits to Vodafone .... better price from
suppliers, tighter integration of phones with Vodafone Live, easier service
and support when overseas. I'm not sure I can see any disadvantages to
Vodafone.
Its interesting to see the Japanese model, whereby the phone is sold by the
maker to the carrier and then on to the consumer, begin to spread overseas.
It certainly makes the carriers put their money where their mouths are and
order thousands or millions of phones with whatever new features are being
pitched in the belief they will be a hit with consumers. Technical problems
aside, it seems one of the biggest drivers of I-mode/WAP in Japan has been
the wide selection of attractive handsets and low prices. Overseas it also
seemed to be a cycle - no users to no phones but no phones because no users
- although if this will change things remains to be seen.
Martyn
Received on Tue Nov 18 00:43:29 2003