Raien Sullivan: Moving the focus from smartphones to networked devices

Abstract: According to foreign media reports, in this week's Las Vegas in the United States, the International Consumer Electronics exhibition, through mobile operators display equipment, can prove that they are no longer with the smartphone tightly linked. Although the rapid popularity of smartphones

According to foreign media reports, the devices displayed by mobile operators in the International Consumer Electronics Show held this week in Las Vegas, USA, show that they are no longer tightly linked to smartphones.

While the rapid popularity of smartphones has benefited Verizon Wireless and At&t, two of America's biggest mobile operators, as smartphone growth slows, operators have begun to steer consumers to other devices connected to the network, such as devices that can control household energy use. The move means that the closer the operator gets to the day-to-day lives of consumers, the more data the company can sell, making it hard for subscribers to switch to other operators ' services.

"I think the growth of the industry in the future is a networked device that consumes data in our network," Lalf Delaviga, Ralph de la Vega, at&t Mobile business director, said in an interview. ”

In this year's International Consumer Electronics Show, Verizon Wireless and at&t have been emphasizing the power of their networks and the ability to connect devices and services. With the growing popularity of the next generation of high-speed wireless networks that use long-term evolution technology-blurring the line between wireless broadband and wired broadband-more and more products can be easily networked.

At&t showcases its digital Life platform, which consists of a security system, a home monitoring system, an energy management system, and a remote control automation system, all of which operate on a at&t network. Verizon Wireless shows a plethora of networked devices, including the use of Verizon Wireless networks to monitor open trash cans. Lowell Macadam Lowell McAdam, Verizon's wireless chief executive, said in an interview, "We will encourage temperature regulators, medical devices, cars and everything to access Verizon's wireless network." Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon Communications and Vodafone.

Over the past few years, major mobile operators have used the International Consumer Electronics Show to showcase handsets and tablets that will be available in the coming months. As attention shifts to the World Mobile Communications Conference (Congress), which is held in Barcelona next month, these devices are less attractive than before in the International Consumer Electronics Show. Equipment manufacturers also found that, following Apple's small-scale product launches, they were able to get their products to media coverage without competing.

While Sprint Nextel, America's third-largest mobile operator, has been relatively low-key in this year's show, the company is also expected to tighten the pace of Verizon's wireless and at&t. "Smartphones are clearly at the heart of our business, but we are turning our focus from smartphones to networked devices," said Ryan Sullivan, director of Sprint's product development, Raien Sullivan. ”

Verizon Wireless and At&t adjusted their data plans in 2012 to allow multiple users to share a data package, a move that means subscribers can add more new devices to their data packages without having to sign new deals with operators.

Smartphones are driving current growth as nearly half of subscribers to large carriers are already using the device. Smartphone users typically pay more bills than functional mobile subscribers, so the switch can quickly turn into revenue growth. But after the switch to smartphones is almost complete, operators need to provide services that go beyond their handsets.

Analysys Mason, a market research firm, recently estimated that global smartphone shipments would reach 869 million in 2013, up from 691 million last year. But the growth in the new smartphone is slipping, from 39% in 2011 to 29% in 2012 and falling to 20% in 2013.

Last November, Sanford Bernstein stressed that the U.S. wireless industry in the third quarter of the total subscribers to the growth rate of only 1%, a record low, and most of the growth is from tablets and mobile hotspots and other Internet devices.

While it is important to look for a network of incoming sources and operators, the revenue from networked devices may not be important in the short term, as operators are designed to make consumers more sticky and less likely to use their competitors ' services. "This is more like deepening penetration of subscribers," says Jennifer Fritzsche, an analyst at Wells Fargo, Jennifer Fritz. ”

At&t's Delaviga says the company's goal is to allow users to use wireless services, television services, mobile payment applications and digital living home surveillance systems. "The At&t plan eventually binds all services into one bill," he said. ”

While operators want to integrate into consumer life, this approach to a company is likely to be resisted by users. Carolina Milanesi, analyst at Gartner, a market research firm, says Na Milanese, both in the UK and in the US, seem dissatisfied with the services of a mobile operator. "I don't know if consumers are willing to deliver their destiny to an operator," she said. ”