Brief Summary of CTIA 2008 Keynotes - Dan Hesse’s Keynote
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Dan Hesse is the CEO of Sprint Nextel. He kick starts his keynote very dynamically, explaining that customers want everything on a “right NOW” basis and won’t settle to anything less than the whole package. Years ago they would prioritize factors like a big bucket of voice minutes, a cool phone, or a camera.
Now, not only are all of these features expected, but also much, much more. Internet access is critical, and a wider range of applications in different areas is just as expected, including lots of video-related features, music, and all that. It’s all about speed – users don’t want to wait, they want everything right now.
“’Can I download that on my phone?’ has been replaced with ‘How fast can I download that on my phone?’ Speed is crucial…along with great voice, usability, worry-free use, and utility.” ~ Dan Hesse
Due to this, Sprint approached the demands offering something called “the button.” It’s all about making sub-second connection set up times, along the lines of push X and we’ll call it – right away – without unnecessary delay and wait times. They migrated this feature onto every service such as e-mail, pictures, and so forth -- everything will be available on a push-basis. A video was also showcased at CTIA 2008 regarding this. Be sure to Google for it.
(Photo Courtesy of CTIA Wireless 2008)
Dan Hesse continues bringing up various points regarding the sudden growth of wireless usage across America. For example, 43 billion text messages were sent during New Year’s Eve. And apparently, it was a 30% jump from the previous year. The amount of data that “travels” through networks is growing exponentially. Ultimately, at $72 billion the entire industry exceeds Hollywood and the global music business.
“For $99 a month, Simply Everything gives customers unlimited voice calling, unlimited text, unlimited picture and video messaging, and unlimited data usage, be it web or e-mail. It's all included. No more confusing options, no more worries.
Simply Everything is an invitation to explore the wide world of wireless data….and to do so at blazing speeds on the nation's largest mobile broadband network. We think Simply Everything kicks off a new era in wireless.” ~ Dan Hesse
As you can read from the above quote, Dan Hesse believes that it is time to offer customers “unlimited” access to everything, a simple plan that works and does what they need, charging a relatively fair price. Customers don’t want extra worries in this world where stress unfortunately predominates. He also mentions that the amount of text messages sent and received exceeds the population of Earth.
Right after this, he presents the Instinct, co-developed with Samsung. Once again, you need to see the recorded video to fully comprehend the product. It’s all about contemporary design, increased usability, more applications that are customizable and can be figured out intuitively, all of these at speeds never experienced before. The wireless platform is Mobile Broadband EV-DO Rev-A network.
The phone also includes GPS features, high speed web access, and everything from movies, music, and TV, in terms of entertainment. Dan Hesse also mentions that Sprint has picked deploying WiMAX as the most advanced 4G standard. In the near future they will be able to provide “real-time, visual social networking, a form of You-Tube on steroids.” Another video is presented at CTIA Wireless 2008 on the topic of WiMAX.
“Our mission at Sprint is clear.
We want to own the pole position referenced in the opening video. We want to own NOW.
NOW is gold-standard push-to-talk and push-to-X, Instinct, and Simply Everything, all powered by the NOW Network, the largest and most open broadband wireless data network in America.
Can we get even faster than NOW? With our leadership in fourth generation, we'll try. With 4G, we will be the wireless company of the future.
Come join us on the NOW Network.” ~ Dan Hesse
In closing, Dan Hesse talked about open standards and Sprint’s involvement in the Open Handset Alliance. They are doing their best to deliver and work on the open source development, pushing evolution further than it has ever been before. Mobile freedom is a critical priority of Sprint Nextel. They are also planning to remain committed to MVNO partners and devices such as the Amazon’s Kindle.
Next: Final Thoughts >>
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