What The Verizon Hub Should Be

Whenever I look at new offerings from telcos that have a digital home/consumer electronics angle to them, I always ask myself: is this something that a CE vendor could do better? Case in point: Verizon's Hub.

Now I've always been a strong proponent of the concept of a “family" information appliance –something that can sit in the kitchen or family room or, ideally, in multiple places in the house, showing synchronized information.  Just providing a synchronized, multi-user family calendar alone would be a major killer application for any busy family.

We've seen lots of efforts down these lines over the past five years or so, but none have really been successful.

The Hub marries a broadband-connected touchscreen information appliance with a VoIP phone/service. It improves the breed in several ways that previous devices haven't – particularly in terms of usability (the touchscreen pays big dividends here) and form factor (it's an attractive device would look good in any kitchen).

But it still doesn't quite hit the mark from my perspective.

Let's look at what's missing. First: email. Yes, it supports SMS/MMS (and yes, we know how much money Verizon makes on those services, but at least parents will be able to reach their teenagers), but no email?  It also lacks a true Web browser, which is a lesser omission, but unfortunate.

Also missing is an app store. The hub comes with some cool widgets, but a device like this is literally screaming for greater application diversity. It may be a bit trite now to say “add an app store", but trite doesn't make it wrong. Verizon, get an app store up and running ASAP.  

Supposedly one is in the works, but I fear that it will be an also-ran, unless it uses some sort of standardized or portable widget architecture – Verizon needs to take the lead here. Hub sales volumes won't draw developers already torn between iPhone, Palm Pre, Blackberry, etc. Furthermore, I have a hard time imagining a telco giving up enough control to let its own app store grow to 35,000 titles like Apple has (I'd expect 1/100th of that).

In the sins of commission department, I have to ask: was it really necessary to bundle the VoIP phone (and mandatory $35/month VoIP service)? It kills the economics of the device.  And keep in mind the example of the iPod Touch, which costs more than an iPhone up front but handily outsells it. Not everyone wants (or can have) their voice bundled into a computing platform. Didn't Verizon learn anything from the AT&T EO back in the 90s?

To me this is old school telco think, not nimble CE-competitor think. But what else does a telco really bring to the table in a device like this, especially if it's BYOB (bring your own broadband)? A CE vendor could bring a device to market with a lot of the same features, without the added expense of the phone and with the gaps filled without a whole lot of effort.

Speaking of CE vendors, I think Apple has the best shot of coming up with the device that will take this particular market by storm. App store? The biggest and (not so arguably) best. Highly refined touchscreen UI? They've got that too.  The ability to make consumer friendly devices that look good enough to sit on the kitchen counter? Obviously.

Here's what I'd like to see. A not too big, not too small touchscreen device (it doesn't have to be laptop sized, just big enough to be useful – say 7" or 8"). The ability to synchronize calendars, contacts and the like – for multiple users in a family and amongst devices in the home (other touchscreens, PCs, phones, etc.). The ability to access those downloaded-a-billion-times applications in the app store.

Add in the ability to view and control downloaded and streamed content (in other words, control an Apple TV or other device as well as display the content directly on the touchscreen).  Leave out the phone and monthly service charges, and you've got a market maker on your hands. 

The rumors a few weeks back had Apple talking to Verizon about iPhone alternatives. If this wasn't one of them, well then Apple and Verizon should put this on the top of their list. The Hub is a neat device, there's no question about it – but this is what is going to sell, and sell well. If Verizon isn't interested, Apple should just do it themselves. Are you listening in Cupertino?

If Verizon's worried about this being too CE and not enough telco, they should think about how they could link this device to FiOS. Rather than trying to drive VoIP traffic, this device could be used to access and/or control IPTV and IMS applications, plus share widgets with the set top box. This keeps the telco relevant but doesn't force an unwanted service on top of a neat device.