Carrier differentiation: Operating systems and graphical user interfaces mean more for wireless users

To the dismay of voice-only service providers, the wireless telecommunications industry has evolved into a crowded and growing field of lookalikes. At the same time, declining per-minute charges are squeezing revenues.

To break from the pack, carriers must look to the often-neglected operating system and the proper graphical user interface to give them an edge in the new millennium.

The number of consumers tapping into services such as Internet and intranet access, e-mail, and data subscription for news headlines and stock quotes will quadruple by 2000, according to Business Research Group. (Figure 1)

Although average monthly wireless bills have dropped by more than half in the past 10 years, wireless data service is expected to comprise a $100 billion market in 10 years, according to Paul Kagan Associates Inc.

Ramping up to the 21st century by offering wireless data services requires that carriers endorse the right manufacturers. Most of today's devices cannot handle data transmission to suit end users' demands.

Whether feature-rich or limited in data features, a device with an operating system capable of providing a range of functionality and better power management is required. The resource constraints of these devices demand it. Traditional operating systems won't do for wireless devices offering more than voice-only capabilities because they are device-specific and cannot be used across the product line.

More important for the handset user, the operating system determines how the phone receives information and how it is displayed on the screen. It also influences vital characteristics such as ease of use, rich functionality and power management.

Carriers should endorse the wireless communication devices most suited for voice and data delivery by picking OEMs that understand the value of flexible, communications-centric operating systems. With such a system, it is easier for a product line to evolve because manufacturers can offer the functions in demand today, while supporting new services as they become available.

Communications-centric operating systems designed for wireless handsets outpace other systems because they can provide various advanced communications functions with just the right memory and power allotment to support those functions. Non-communications centric operating systems typically are designed for computing devices and cannot adequately meet the challenges that wireless communications present.

A communications-centric operating system is modular and flexible, allowing manufacturers and carriers to determine which applications to offer. For example, high-end communicators can give consumers everything from faxing, Internet access and e-mail to caller ID, paging and up-to-the-minute information services. Low-end voice and data devices offer a GUI that provides easy navigation of services such as voice mail, paging and some Internet access, especially for e-mail capability.

The branding advantage The GUI can provide differentiation through branding. Choosing the right equipment should mean choosing a look and feel to enhance consumers' comfort level. A flexible GUI does that by simplifying the phone's features. Ultimately, consumer ease of use generates more minutes of airtime. OEMs start the process by picking icons, bit maps, types of buttons, splash screens or colors to enhance the user interface.

Graphical elements let users more easily access important business information and retrieve stored data. Customers are less likely to switch carriers when they become dependent upon the look and feel that a particular GUI provides.

But becoming a standout in the wireless market depends on more than adopting the proper hardware and taking advantage of innovative branding opportunities. Carriers should provide or choose partners that can provide wireless information services, Internet access and data backup. Mobile users increasingly will depend upon them to complete daily tasks such as ordering movie tickets, checking stock quotes or reading a restaurant review.

Internet and intranet access on some wireless devices is no longer a complex task. Software exists that can streamline the download to resize and reformat graphically rich Web pages, making data easier to read on small screens and faster to download over wireless networks. Software can reduce or eliminate graphics, refashion important information to fit and eliminate unnecessary backgrounds.

With the right data service, wireless real-time information can be tailored to the needs of the mobile subscriber. Content partners work with leading on-line publishers to provide users with traffic, weather, investment reports, headline news, sports and entertainment. As an additional way to differentiate themselves, carriers can add their own content channels, customized with branding.

Data services can be incorporated into the carrier's network and integrated with billing and customer service tasks. Top service architectures are compatible with various network technologies, communications protocols and operating systems, supporting industry standards such as HTML, TTML, wireless application protocol and short message service.

Offering tailor-made services will let carriers minimize their reliance on slashing airtime prices. Carriers face the debilitating effects of conventionality unless they rethink handset choice, branding advantages and service provisioning. Otherwise, the customer will continue to perceive price as the only difference between Carrier ABC and Carrier XYZ.