Verizon Thinks "Hub" Has a Gender Bias

Several notable elements stand out as Verizon starts to market its "Hub" appliance. First, the wireless broadband device aims to displace a standard wired voice line, an example of Verizon essentially cannibalizing itself.

Second, Verizon Hub, the new multimedia phone, might especially appeal to women buyers, who likely will be targeted for adoption, Verizon Wireless says. So though Verizon will market to men as well as women, it plans to make special efforts to market to female buyers.

Third, the device could open up a new "use case" for mobile broadband, essentially as a fixed-mobile implementation.

Women seem to find the "at my fingertips" features of the Hub useful, including such things as a calendar function and its ability to text to multiple wireless handsets.

The Hub sells for $249.99 with a two-year contract and allows users can make unlimited calls; locate family members using GPS; text, e-mail and video message and buy movie tickets, for example.

The findings are the result of two surveys taken by Web site iVillage.

Verizon indicates it does not see demand as exclusively female, of course, but lead users might well be found in the "female user" market. There's nothing wrong with tailoring devices and applications to end user segments. Perhaps Verizon has found another one.