Most Important Consumer Technologies: Not PCs or Mobiles

Though we sometimes forget it, the devices we rely on most are not mobile phones and PCs, but cars, clothes washers and dryers, air conditioning and other mundane things we don't even typically think about as "technology."

Someday, though, mobile phones and PCs probably will  be in the category of things we use everyday but don't necessarily consider to be "technology."

Right now, even air conditioning in one's automobile and TV sets rank higher on technology "needs" than PCs or mobile phones, though. 

What iPhone Has Done for AT&T

If surveys of ChangeWave Research members are any indication, the Apple iPhone has paid big dividends for AT&T, essentially allowing it to overcome a perceived “satisfaction” and “dropped calls” gap compared to Verizon Wireless.

But there also are signs the “Apple effect” might be waning, as stated buyer intentions are trending back in Verizon’s favor, possibly suggesting a saturation of the obvious iPhone market as Verizon brings functional substitutes to market. 

The December 9-15, 2008 survey of 3,800 respondents shows a very-close market share between AT&T, with 31-percent share, and Veizon with 30-percent share. As you might expect, Sprint Nextel has not yet fully solved its churn problem, showing a 10-percent share decline since the last survey, with T-Mobile unchanged at 10-percent share.

But Verizon handily leads all the others in customer satisfaction. Some 49 percent of Verizon customers say they are very satisfied with their provider. About 30 percent say they are very satisfied with AT&T. About 27 percent of T-Mobile customers say they are “very satisfied.” About 25 percent of Sprint Nextel customers say they are very satisfied. 

But there seems to be some movement in the churn area. Verizon had been the clear leader among users who indicated they were going to switch providers, and were thinking Verizon was the carrier they would defect to, at least until the introduction of the iPhone.

Since news of the iPhone introduction, the roles have reversed and it is AT&T that has had the upper hand in the race to win defecting users. But Verizon seems to be gaining momentum again. 

About 27 percent of respondents still identify AT&T as the firm to which users are thinking they will move. But intention to switch to AT&T is down four percentage points  from September 2008. 

At the same time Verizon, reported by 22 percent of respondents as the carrier to which they are inclined to move, has gained three percentage points since September 2008, a net swing of seven percentage points. 

There is encouraging news for Sprint Nextel on the churn front, as five percent of respondents indicated they were inclined to switch to Sprint Nextel, a gain of two percentage points since the last similar survey. 

T-Mobile, though, seems to battling a headwind, as five percent of respondents indicated they were leaning to switching to T-Mobile, down two percentage points from the last survey.

Mobile Revenue Sources Shift to Data

Mobile data revenues are becoming a significant portion of overall service provider gross revenues, an important measure of diversification as voice continues to lose its status as revenue driver for the global mobility industry.

For a typical European operator, text messaging accounted for up to 80 percent of non-voice revenues in previous years, say researchers at Informa Telecoms & Media. But other data services are starting to show as a more-signficant revenue source. Operators such as Vodafone are seeing non-SMS services generating up to half of non-voice revenues, for example, Informa says.

Non-voice revenues totaled $157 billion in 2007, according to Informa Telecoms & Media, up from $116 billion in 2006. In the second quarter 2008 non-voice revenues surpassed $50 billion for the first time in any quarter. For 2008 as a whole they are expected to exceed $200 billion.

Revenues are heavily skewed toward emerging markets. Asia Pacific captured 39 percent of global data revenues in the second quarter, but the region is dominated by China, along with Japan and South Korea.
Europe was the second-largest region, with 25 percent of global revenues, followed by North America at 19 percent Other regions contributed just 17 percent of global revenues.

The United States, though, tops the world in mobile data average revenue per user. In the second quarter, data ARPU was $10 a month in North America, compared with a global average of just under $5.

More PC Entrants in Smart Phone Business?

What's the difference between a smart phone and a standard PC? Not much, more PC vendors are hoping. Computer makers Acer and Dell are said to be developing high-end mobile phones to complement their successful laptop and desktop computer portfolios. Such a move would not only help to sustain growth during the recession, but also put them in a better position to counter the growing threat of rival Apple.

As successful as they have been, a move into the smart phone arena will be challenging, as other suppliers have found when entering the mobile device business for the first time. Not many "PC" suppliers have found the success Apple has had in the MP3 music player and smart phone markets. In fact, failure is more common than success.

Dell and Acer may be bolstered by the reasonable success Hewlett Packard has had with its iPAQ smart phone for reassurance. And Microsoft is an almost-perennial candidate for doing so.

They likely are more emboldened by HTC's success, though that firm has had the easier task of producing devices under its own retail brand, not making the leap into the mobile device area for the first time.

It seems that Dell has already produced prototype devices, based on the Windows Mobile and Android platforms, as part of a scheme to commercialize an iPhone-type device, complete with touch screen.

Consumer Sentiment Shift?

The important thing about the recession is to look for signs of change, for evidence of a bottoming, as the recession now has been formally working its way through the economy for 14 months. Though it is not definitive by any means, a shift in consumer sentiment already might be occurring. 

According to the latest ChangeWave survey of U.S. consumers, conducted January 5-9, there were signs that consumer spending may finally be stabilizing.  While overall spending still looks terrible, ChangeWave notes, the 90-day outlook is not quite as "horrible" as it was in the December 2008 survey. 

Fifty-seven percent of U.S. respondents said they'll spend less during the next 90 days than they did a year ago, but that's three points better than in the December survey. Another 13 percent said they'll spend more -- two points better than previously. 

Respondents were also queried on their current impressions of the economy and, once again, while things look bad, they don't appear quite as awful as they did in December. About 12 percent said they think the economy will improve in the next 90 days, three points better than in December. About 56 percent said they think the economy will worsen during the next 90 days, but a significant 10 points better than the December low.

Other sentiment indicators also show some improvement, according to the study.

Some five percent said they are very satisfied with the current state of their personal finances, up one point from the record low in December, while another 39 percent said they're somewhat satisfied, up eight points.

Twenty-six percent said they are now more confident in the U.S. stock market than they were 90 days ago, 13 points better than previously. Only 31 percent said they're less confident, a 25-point improvement 

The new data is important because the first step in the recovery is for a bottom to be reached. Changing sentiment is one such sign. In past recessions, peak unemployment claims have been an indicator as well, as significant layoffs are a lagging metric. Often, if not typically, the "bottom" is reached about 30 days after a month where "peak" layoffs occur. 

AT&T Wireline Revenue Now Led by Video

Here's what some might consider the key take-away from AT&T's fourth quarter results: "Despite the economic environment, we grew revenues in 2008, and I expect 2009 will be another year of overall revenue growth and solid progress for our company," says Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer.

There are other noteworthy take-aways, though. The video business now is leading wireline revenue growth at AT&T. It doesn't appear AT&T is doing as well as Verizon is in the broadband access area, though one must infer that from the "non-reporting" of digital subscriber line customer performance. 

Revenue growth was driven by 13.2 percent wireless gains and a 14.2 percent increase in wireline IP data, which include AT&T U-verse services and business offerings such as VPNs and managed Internet services.

Verizon can say the same, as it reported record growth in video and data services. Verizon added 303,000 net new FiOS TV customers and 282,000 net new FiOS Internet customers, the highest ever for the company.

It also posted a 14.3 percent increase in consumer ARPU in legacy telecom markets and  8.4 percent increase in revenues from business services. 

U-Verse digital TV growth accelerated. AT&T signed up 264,000 new U-Verse TV subscribers, its highest ever. Combined with Verizon's 303,000 new FiOS subscribers, it seems like the telcos took solid share from cable and satellite last quarter.

U-verse network deployment now reaches 17 million living units. 

AT&T added 2.1 million net wireless subscribers, down from 2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2007. Verizon, added 1.2 million net subscribers during the fourth quarter.

Data = 44% of Verizon Wireline Revenues

The most-interesting tidbit from Verizon's fourth-quarter earnings was the news that wireline data revenues now are 43.6 percent of total wireline revenues. That of course is significant because Verizon and other telcos are working to replace slipping wireline voice revenues as their revenue mainstay.

And though wireless obviously is important, the landline results show the contributions broadband services can make for wireline providers, exclusive of wireless services. 

Wireline data revenues of $5.2 billion in the fourth quarter 2008 represented an increase of 10.9 percent compared with the fourth quarter 2007.  

Total broadband connections were 8.7 million, a net increase of 214,000 over the third quarter 2008.  This includes a decrease of 68,000 DSL-based Verizon High Speed Internet connections, which was more than offset by the increase in FiOS Internet customers.  The 8.7 million is an increase of 8.2 percent year over year. 

Broadband and TV products now account for more than 31 percent of consumer ARPU in legacy markets, compared with 22.7 percent in the fourth quarter 2007.  The ARPU among FiOS customers continues to grow and is more than $133 per month.