All roads lead to open

As we close out 2009, our first year under our new banner of Connected Planet, it's not only timely but fitting that our cover story deals with the still emerging terrain of the open mobile ecosystem. If you've been reading the first few issues of Connected Planet, you've probably noticed we've been building to this story.

In September, we laid out our vision for Connected Planet: The world has changed, and the challenge for service providers is not only to build and operate increasingly pervasive networks, but to figure out how to deliver — and how to make money from — the applications and solutions running over them. The two are intrinsically linked more than ever moving forward: intelligent networks enabling world-changing applications.

Next, in October, we looked at the new digital value chain: where telcos fit into it today and how they'll have to change to remain prominent tomorrow. In November, we tackled the innovation challenge and the processes and “engines” service providers need to tune up to win through continued innovation.

And finally, this month, we look at all things “open”: open networks, open applications, open application programming interfaces, open business models and more. Kevin Fitchard's cover story, with a major assist from Sarah Reedy, aims to both define the idea and explore its implications. It's a great read and significantly brings in not only voices from our industry — such as Lowell McAdam, CEO of Verizon Wireless — but the insights of application developers, device-makers and other new players in this now much more open mobile ecosystem.

It's been particularly interesting to watch Verizon's progress down this path — and now I'm personally invested as a new Droid user, as well. As recounted in the cover story, Verizon was dragged into the open mobile debate in the 700 MHz auctions; seemed to embrace it with news of planned open initiatives and developer programs; looked ready to pull back on its promise and vision as its open efforts at least appeared to go fallow; and then this fall, made its surprisingly “open” push into the world of open mobile with the Droid and other efforts.

In our story, McAdam seems invigorated with the opportunities offered by open mobile networks, confidently vague about plans to make money in this new environment and refreshingly honest about the fact that while some customers will embrace the freedom and capabilities unleashed in a more open environment, others will continue to look to Verizon for a more “guided” wireless experience. These two worlds can coexist happily, McAdam says.

That seems to be absolutely the case. As we've been detailing this fall, by embracing new solution and application opportunities, carving out a new role in the digital value chain and embracing new styles of innovation, tomorrow's service provides — wired and wireless — can greatly benefit from this new, more open world.