Wednesday, September 1, 2010
iPod Touch is Top Mobile Gaming Platform
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Canada Mandates Wholesale Broadband Access for Cable and Telcos, at Equivalent Speeds
Every nation has its own way of regulating communications services. In the United States, for example, telcos are not required to sell wholesale access to "fiber to the home" facilities to competitors, though they must do so on copper facilities.
No U.S. cable companies are required to sell competitors wholesale access. This is not the case in Canada, where cable companies as well as telcos have to provide wholesale access, as telcos do (at least that is my understanding of the matter).
Apparently there has been dispute about whether the wholesale obligations also include the availability of wholesale access at the same speeds a facilities-based telco or cable company must provide to potential wholesale partners.
The CTRC apparently has ruled that this must be done, and that the obligations apply to cable as well as telco services.
"This will enable competitors to make use of the cable companies' services just as easily as those of the telephone companies," the Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission now says. The CRTC says telcos, at least, are allowed to mark up wholesale prices to "10 percent above network costs."
In the U.S. market, telcos have argued that provides an insufficient profit margin, since many other costs also are involved. Competitors, on the other hand, likely will argue that the fees are too high. It's just another example of channel conflict in the ecosystem.
The decision does appear to mean that, for the moment, competitors will in most cases have a choice of two underlying providers in each local market, and will be able to match prevailing speeds offered by the telcos and cable companies in each market.
CRTC ruling
Apparently there has been dispute about whether the wholesale obligations also include the availability of wholesale access at the same speeds a facilities-based telco or cable company must provide to potential wholesale partners.
The CTRC apparently has ruled that this must be done, and that the obligations apply to cable as well as telco services.
"This will enable competitors to make use of the cable companies' services just as easily as those of the telephone companies," the Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission now says. The CRTC says telcos, at least, are allowed to mark up wholesale prices to "10 percent above network costs."
In the U.S. market, telcos have argued that provides an insufficient profit margin, since many other costs also are involved. Competitors, on the other hand, likely will argue that the fees are too high. It's just another example of channel conflict in the ecosystem.
The decision does appear to mean that, for the moment, competitors will in most cases have a choice of two underlying providers in each local market, and will be able to match prevailing speeds offered by the telcos and cable companies in each market.
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
SEO Versus PPC: Where's Your Budget Going in 2011?
28 percent of the biggest companies recently surveyed by (those with revenues exceeding $1 billion per year) in a recent survey apparently do not think search engine optimization is all that important. The firms report spending nothing on SEO.
An eConsultancy survey asked for information on company budgets for search engine optimization. About nine percent reported spending nothing on SEO. Some 43 percent spent up to $25,000. About 18 percent spent between $25,000 and $75,000.
link
An eConsultancy survey asked for information on company budgets for search engine optimization. About nine percent reported spending nothing on SEO. Some 43 percent spent up to $25,000. About 18 percent spent between $25,000 and $75,000.
Another 13 percent spent $75,001 - $150,000. Some 16 percent of respondents said they spent $150,001 to more than $3 million on search engine optimization in 2009.
link
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Foursquare Sees 'Biggest Day Ever' After Facebook Places Launches | ClickZ
Marketers often say that having a powerful new competitor in an emerging market sometimes, or often, is a good thing because it validates the market for all the contestants. That appears to be the case for Foursquare. At least, that is what Foursquare hopes is the case.
Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley tweeted on Thursday that his company had its "biggest day ever in terms of new user signups."
The disclosure came one day after Facebook launched its location-based feature, which some industry pundits had deemed a "Foursquare killer."
link
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Study: 83% of ALL Holiday Shoppers Influenced by Reviews « Marketing Pilgrim
A surprising 67% said they would purchase an identical product from an unknown website if the retailer offered a better value, meaning low pricing and free shipping, typically.
So the issue is, what is the balance between low price or free shipping and recommendations as drivers of user behavior. One might suggest low price and free shipping mostly always win when recommendations are favorable.
One might also suggest that favorable recommendations will fail to outweigh price and free shipping.
http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2010/09/study-83-of-all-holiday-shoppers-influenced-by-reviews.html
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
Amazon Said to Plan Film, TV Web Service With Studios
Amazon apparently is trying to create its own Web-based content service featuring TV and movie programming, as part of its shift to sales of digital goods. In principle, the approach is the same as Amazon has taken with books, where it sells both physical versions and digital versions.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-01/amazon-said-to-plan-film-tv-web-service-with-studios.html
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-01/amazon-said-to-plan-film-tv-web-service-with-studios.html
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
eBay to Ban Google Checkout: What About That PayPal-Android Deal?
eBay sats that third-party checkout solutions, like Google Checkout, will no longer be supported on eBay after June 30, 2011. eBay says that other checkout solutions (besides PayPal) are only used less than 10 percent of the time on eBay.com.
As with all such decisions, one suspects a heightened sense of competitive threat is playing a large role in eBay's thinking.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/223346-ebay-to-ban-google-checkout-what-about-that-paypal-android-deal?source=feed
As with all such decisions, one suspects a heightened sense of competitive threat is playing a large role in eBay's thinking.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/223346-ebay-to-ban-google-checkout-what-about-that-paypal-android-deal?source=feed
Gary Kim has been a digital infra analyst and journalist for more than 30 years, covering the business impact of technology, pre- and post-internet. He sees a similar evolution coming with AI. General-purpose technologies do not come along very often, but when they do, they change life, economies and industries.
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