Fixed-mobile convergence: telecom guys perk up their heads
From a recent article that appeared in the Financial Times (London) dated September 21, 2005.
...convergence will break down the barriers between mobile and wireline services, enabling new services while saving everyone money.... But few converged services exist. That is why Nokia finds using today's mobile phones to access PBX services attractive. "There are about 430m PBX lines worldwide and about 200m business mobiles. We aim for market share in the fixed space," explains Mr Olkkonen. Nokia hopes to speed this up by signing deals with market leaders Avaya and Cisco.... The Finnish group's agreement with Avaya is a perfect illustration of this strategic shift. Nokia developed software for its Series 60 business-class mobiles that allows Avaya PBX users to access all of the functionality of their office system via a simple graphical interface. The cellphone itself becomes just another PBX extension. Combining mobility with PBX functionality is a long-standing enterprise requirement that few mobile service providers have addressed. With convergence, enterprises can take matters into their own hands.
I'm trying to think of the cultural and entertainment aspects of this union..... Anyone?
