Is quality of service a problem? O'Connell said his company shoots for as good as cellular quality. Said "QoS can enhance a service, but I don't believe it's a barrier to entry." Meaning: Users will put up with cell-like gaps if the cost is right.
Is it all about cost savings? Ladd said no, it's about applications. Tells story about insurance company spending $500k to put standard cell phone antennas in buildings on headquarters campus. "We do want our phones, and we want them to work all the time, anywhere," Ladd said. Others disagree, say costs are compelling enough to switch.
Shostak said Wi-Fi is being put in for data, if voice can be added "It's a bonus that leverages your investment." Kohli said on a "dollars per bit per megahertz per square foot cost," Wi-Fi comes out "an order of magnitude better" than standard cell implementations. Ladd counters: "It's not happening at Fortune 1000 companies."
When will there be ubiquitous Wi-Fi phones? O'Connell said "soon," predicts "not only are they coming, they will be cheap." Said Samsung already has a dual-mode Wi-Fi/GSM phone. "You'll see three to five of the top (handset) vendors with models by the first half of next year," he said. Kohli agrees -- said his company has seen, under NDA, 10 different Wi-Fi phones "that are half the size, use half the battery power, at half the cost" of existing IP handsets. Enterprises, he said, have figured out that half the cell calls made by employees are when they are on campus -- why not redirect over IP network you're already paying for?
EDITOR'S QUESTION: Does this quick-notes format work for you? Or do you prefer regular "news" type stories (which would be fewer in number and not posted as quickly)? Let me know, via email to [email protected]. Thanks!
