The International Herald Tribune has a thought-provoking piece recounting Nokia
Should Handset Vendors Stockpile Content And Services?
Summary:
The International Herald Tribune has a thought-provoking piece recounting Nokia
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Interesting post. When 3UK decided to team with online players such as Ebay, Google or Sling, it showed its willingness to cooperate more than fight with new entrants. The main issue operators are facing is a loss of revenues due to the rise of new D2C/offportal players such as Nokia/Loudeye but also Sony Ericsson. The main issue they will have is that handset makers are dependant from their customers on their core business: selling mobile devices. They will have to take a clever approach if they don't want to jeopardize their current main stream of revenues.
Thanks Christophe. I agree it will be a balancing act for handset makers at first (particularly since many mobile operators still believe they alone can call the shots). However, as you also pointed out, 3 in the UK is showing the way: Adapt or die. Mobile operators will have to accept that other companies are well-positioned to offer content and services, and develop models that add value to these offers rather than simply fight them tooth and nail. I'll say it again: open and collaborative approaches will deliver the only sustainable edge.