AT&T Bets a Billion Greenbacks on Development and Build Outs

This CurrentCast audio report highlights key Current Analysis insights into AT&T’s recent network build out plans, and results of its roadmap for 2008. Counse Broders, Kitty Weldon and Brian Washburn note their take on the strengths and weakness of the latest carrier moves.

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Recommended User Actions

► End users considering mobility in the enterprise space will find AT&T’s efforts on track to provide a true unified front to delivering solutions that bridge wireline and wireless. In fact, not only does AT&T have a strong position in terms of its network, its 3G deployment plans and its global data roaming footprint, but it is also strong in offering professional services, consulting and integration of third-party line of business applications for key business processes such as FFA, SFA, CRM and fleet management.

► Hosting customers will find AT&T is continuing to beef up its data center support, adding new global hub locations, and ensuring that it meets major demands in the U.S., Europe and Asia. South American customers will be less fortunate.

► Domestic and global enterprises can rest assured that AT&T continues to invest in foundation transport and network components. Besides its domestic ULH DWDM network footprint expansion to 50,000 route-miles, AT&T plans to add an undersea cable route connecting Europe and Asia. AT&T also will enter long-haul VPLS and IPv6, which are components of the U.S. federal government's Networx program.

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AT&T’s Planned $1 Billion Global Network Investment Promises Enhanced Services and Reach for Multinational Customers

On March 5th AT&T announced its investment plan for 2008 to expand its network and solutions portfolio. AT&T will spend $1 billion globally. The carrier's international expansion plans include new submarine cables, additional core MPLS routers, Ethernet VPLS in a few locations, network-to-network connections, DSL access in China and new data centers. AT&T will also develop capabilities to support unified communications and enhance its BusinessDirect portal.

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VoiceCon Spring 2008
Motorola Enters FMC Fray with VoWLAN and Dual-mode Initiatives

On March 17th Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility business unit launched its next-generation voice solutions under the Total Enterprise Access and Mobility (TEAM) name. TEAM solutions will provide security and management as well as a common architecture that will interoperate with an organization’s existing voice and IT infrastructure, such as PBXs, wired and wireless LANs and two-way radios. This interoperability will provide enterprises the ability to extend the functionality of existing technologies to broaden communications access to a new set of workers.

Recommended Competitive Responses

► Current Perspective: Slightly positive on Motorola’s Total Enterprise Access and Mobility Solutions (TEAM) as the company has brand recognition, expertise and a broad and diverse wireless technology portfolio, as well as a customer base that will provide it with an excellent starting point for success in the emerging enterprise fixed mobile convergence (FMC) space. However, the company is only just now unveiling its strategy to compete for FMC business while competitors of all stripes are further ahead, with products already available.

► Vendor Importance: Moderate to high to Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility business because with its present announcements, the organization, formed in mid-2007, is introducing a new strategy and new solutions with which to compete in markets adjacent to its traditional space. Motorola’s advancements also counter moves made by several of its foremost rivals in the mobile handset and enterprise infrastructure markets, as well as service launches by U.S. and global carriers to capitalize on emerging enterprise fixed mobile convergence opportunities.

► Market Impact: Low on the enterprise mobility market in the near-to mid-term, because while Motorola is an established presence in the consumer cellular and enterprise WLAN spaces, it joins the enterprise FMC fray against a throng of developers of all stripes that are further along in technology development, product availability and marketing strategies. Over the long term though, Motorola may be able to leverage its considerable resources to find success in this still-developing market, in which no clear leader has emerged.

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Apple’s SDK and Email Synch Open up the iPhone to Businesses

On March 6th Apple launched iPhone 2.0 beta software, including an SDK for developers, and built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, allowing secure, OTA push email, contacts and calendars, remote wipe, and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to private corporate networks. Apple will release the final iPhone 2.0 software, iPhone SDK and new enterprise features, as a free software update for all iPhone customers by the end of June.

Analytical Summary

► Current Perspective: Positive on Apple’s SDK 2.0 announcement, because it opens up the iPhone for consideration – even serious consideration – as a mobile enterprise platform. As the iPhone will now support push email/PIM, basic device management/security and custom application development, Apple is taking the iPhone beyond prosumers and solidly positioning it as a business smartphone. Price, brand and lack of a physical keyboard will still be obstacles for some corporate customers, but iPhone – which was always sexy - is maturing.

► Vendor Importance: Very high to Apple, because the iPhone is one of Apple’s three main product lines, along with the Macintosh computer business and the iPod family. The ecosystem built for iPod benefitted the iPhone, and now the iPhone is returning the favor by turning the iPod touch into a portable computing tablet. Considering how well Apple did selling the iPhone even without third-party applications, the SDK will significantly increase take up among new high-value customer segments.

► Market Impact: High on the enterprise mobility market, because the iPhone can now compete on more even terms against traditional smartphones. Other device manufacturers and middleware providers such as Nokia and RIM still have a large window of opportunity, however. Their device management and security portfolios are more proven and more robust, and legions of ISVs have been developing business applications for ESeries devices and BlackBerrys for several years. Microsoft and its OEMs and device management partners also have a leg up on Apple in terms of device management and security, the number of line of business apps in the market, brand, price and 3G access support.

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