Monday, December 03, 2007
The mobile 2.0 revolution starts in Germany
1&1, the largest web hoster in the world, went live with a mobile email solution last week in Germany. They are using Funambol, integrated with OpenXchange. Open source on all levels...Why is it the start of a revolution?
Because this not a carrier, though they are offering mobile email directly to their users. An ISP offering mobile messaging... The start of a big shift in this market, where you will get your email pushed to your phone directly from the company that "owns" your email. In 99.99% of the cases, that is not your mobile carrier...
1&1 is doing this in a very smart way, since they are going "around" the mobile operator but they are also adding an option to be the mobile operator. Technically, I guess they are proposing themselves also as an MVNO.
So you can get mobile email on your device if:
- You own a phone and a data plan. No additional charge.
- You want also a special data plan. They have one for 9.99 euro a month (unlimited data, that's nothing!!!!). You could also get a voice plan, if you desire.
- You want also a phone. They have a Windows Mobile device for 49.99 euro (heck, that's nothing as well...)
I feel this is really huge. An ISP offering mobile email directly (and for free ;-) Plus doubling as an MVNO, to push adoption. The world is changing...BTW, if you are not German, 1&1 has announced they will be launching in UK, France and USA in the first half of 2008. The revolution is coming to a country close to you ;-)
Posted by Fabrizio at 15:10
6 Comments:
francesco said...
Hi Fabrizio.
I wrote some lines for you on Silicon Valley study tour page.
I'm looking forward for you reply.
Thanks
Comment Posted at 17:39
LuVi said...
Close to Italy... but we'll remain so far, into our sick market mad of traps for consumers.... hope something similar to be in Italy into 3-4 years....
Comment Posted at 22:38
This does not really look like a revolution to me. Reading the (well hidden) fine print, the 10 Euro flatrate is NOT on highspeed 3G/UMTS and does NOT allow for VoIP nor media streaming nor chatting nor an attached computer.
In other words, it is pretty useless apart from using email and some browsing. Even the browser needs to be "certified" by 1&1. No guarantee that e.g. Google Maps would work.
The email then costs an additional 5 Euros on top. Makes a total of 15 Euros a month - and you don't even get a free handset. Normal calls are actually very expensive at 0.29 Euros per minute - which is three times the current low cost offers.
Compare that with the current Freenet offer: For only 10 Euros per month (5 less), the same cost per minute of calls and free Internet and email you get a pretty similar offer - which also gives you a Blackberry Pearl for free.
Overall, 1&1 seems like a rip-off.
Comment Posted at 09:46
Fabrizio said...
Hi kongo09,
you wrote:
>>In other words, it is pretty useless apart from using email and some browsing
Well, that is what you get from a carrier for RIM BlackBerry for X times the price per month...
9.99/month for a BlackBerry-like experience is a rip-off ;-)
fabrizio
Comment Posted at 15:21
Hi Fabrizio, I'm working in a new kind of mvno in italy and spain. We are a "fusion" of the TLC and ISP.
Our thought is actual mobile/wireless company can't understand or target needs of a niche, compare to what "sciura maria" massmarket rappresent in italy, or in general where innovation its not a priority.
Our target is the "mobile social networker"
Stay tuned...
alessandro@morel.li
Comment Posted at 22:59
Eran Elias said...
Hi Fabrizo,
I arrived to your intersting blog while i was looking for an open source for mobile browsing (free surfing), do you know if it is available in the market? Do you support it? can you recommend me on one?
Thanks
Eran
