A friend of mine observed last week that all those unlimited plans exclude Blackberry, and asked "How long will we be paying the BlackBerry Tax as well as our data charge?". Carriers are carving out BlackBerry as a value added service that customers should pay extra for. This morning on SquawkBox we'll the topic of unlimited data plans. But, we'll talk about it in the context of value added data services. Is the BlackBerry model sustainable? How many other services like this do you believe consumers might pay for? This should be a lively discussion.
And the other topic? Rumor has it that Microsoft is getting ready to unveil online versions of the office apps to counter the "Google Threat". This morning, however, they've announced hosted services — exchange, sharepoint, office communication server. Damp squib, as some have suggested? Or… "what google threat?". Where do you stand?
http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2008/03/rumor_microsoft_1.php
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/mar08/03-02AllSizeBusinessesPR.mspx
See you at 11 on SquawkBox!
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry maker Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
