if connected

Mobile operator 3, announced today a final break with its original strategy: today there was no mention of a fully walled garden and a per event charging model for media content downloads and viewing email messages.
3 announced that the X-Series line will: “…offer mobile Internet services free at the time of use, for a flat fee.” Pricing for the subscription was not announced today and will likely vary by country. 3 only announced two handsets supporting the service: the Nokia N73 and the SonyEricsson W950i; both are smartphones based on Symbian OS.
This data pricing model is similar to T-Mobile’s Web n Walk tariff, but quite unlike almost every other major European mobile operator’s data tariffs, which are typically charged per Mb at extortionate price levels. I’m sure, however, with such an all star cast in attendance today that 3 will do well with the column inches tomorrow.
Microsoft, ebay, Skype, Yahoo!, Google, Sling Media, Orb Networks, SonyEricsson and Nokia all presented. There was no sign of AOL or most of the current wave of Web 2.0 luminaries like News Corporation-owned MySpace. Youtube videos appeared within Orb Networks’ placeshifting demo.
Many of the solutions discussed and demo’ed today were not especially revolutionary or exclusive: Yahoo! Go; Windows Live Messenger; Google’s mobile portal, translator and search; ebay’s mobile interface and the Nokia and SonyEricsson handsets are all available elsewhere.
Sling however, demo’ed its Symbian video client which is, apparently a European exclusive on 3, reflecting Sling’s different market strategy in Europe compared with the US.
Skype demonstrated a completely new Skype client running on a Nokia Series 60 handset. In essence, this version of Skype is a very new application that has both tangible end user benefits and also works within the established mobile value chain. This is very much a Skype “Light” experience that has little risk of cannibalising 3’s voice or SMS revenues.
More on this in a separate post to follow.

The FT reports that Ebay sees Google, Yahoo, Amazon becoming less competitive with them :

The four dominant internet groups – Google, Yahoo, eBay and Amazon – will increasingly focus on their core activities rather than compete with each other head-on, according to Meg Whitman, eBay’s chief executive.
“I think we will end up specialising,” she told the FT in an interview on Tuesday. “We have specialised in e-commerce, payment and voice communication. Google stands for search, Yahoo largely stands for content – so I think we may on the fringe compete, but I suspect that over time the businesses will become more specialised.”

Who’s going to break the news to Google!
End up? Has the FT misunderstood? Is Meg Whitman speculating about an end game that is years into the future?
Or, is Ebay already preparing the financial community for a re-positioning of their expensive VoIP acquisition, Skype, out from the headlights of ‘the dominant Internet groups’?
Certainly for now, on VoIP, this is highly wishful thinking. All of these companies have VoIP products competitive with Ebay’s Skype. They’re all adding new features and improving their ease of use too. Plus, the article fails to mention MSN / Microsoft at all ,and so completely ignores Windows Live Messenger and its impacts.
In the wider perspective it’s even odder. These companies cover enormous ground including commerce, content, communication, advertising, search etc. with numerous Jupiter analysts researching each area. However, my understanding, to put words in everyone else’s mouth here is that there is serious competitive overlap in numerous other areas, such as Yahoo! being a major auction player in Japan; Google’s Froogle and classifieds stepping on Ebay’s toes; all of them targeting the youthful demographics that Skype’s latest avatars and ringtones appeal to.
For the next few years, Ebay will be competing with these companies whether they like it or not.
Clients – send us inquiries and we’ll set up calls with a selection of analysts to cover off whichever aspects of this are of interest. Those interested in VoIP or Skype, read this Skype case study.

Ignoring the obvious but shallow: “because they can” / it seemed a “really good idea” / to annoy Microsoft / and Larry Page aspired to command the stage at CES ’06 in the way Steve Jobs has done many times over the years at Macworld….
Potential benefits to Google of the pack approach:
1. Further expand existing search revenues.
Google could target websites that provide an index of software downloads; many of these already sell paid placement ads and sponsorships, such as cnet’s downloads.com . So, alongside ‘web’ ‘images’ ‘groups’ and ‘news’ tabs on its front page, Google could add a ‘software’ tab and sell ads alongside the results.
In other words – Google could use this to generate more searches with Google, and therefore more search-related revenue.
The key consumer benefit of the pack is ease of updates through the central Google updater software. This happens to provide Google with both a route to collect anonymous data (opt-in) and a channel to distribute software. The data adds to Google’s consumer insight engines, and so boosts the value of this software distribution channel for software publishers.
2. Pushing Google software onto consumers’ desktops strengthens consumer ties to Google, and will encourage consumers to do more searches with Google, which equals more search ad revenue.
With Google diversifying into areas that are the traditional preserve of ISPs and media companies (email, telephony/VoIP, video/TV, IM, etc.) Google may find it harder to work with those types of partners to market its products. If consumers use Google PC software — like Google desktop search — then Google has strengthened its user relationships.
Additionally, with web browser innovation still slow, despite Firefox/Mozilla (IE still has the vast majority of the online population), Google’s PC software enables Google to innovate and experiment with new products and revenue possibilities without being limited by the abilities of the prevalent web browsers in use.
3. Improving the consumer experience of the Internet improves the foundations for Google’s Internet-based business.
Google is dependent on the quality of the consumer experience of the Internet. Yet, the main tool for using the Internet, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, has barely changed in five years. By distributing Firefox as part of the bundle, Google spurs web browser innovation by encouraging Microsoft to innovate and accelerate and deepen its IE7 plans.
Norton Antivirus and Adaware also help consumers manage the daily pains of malicious software thus indirectly helping Google. If consumers become too annoyed by the dark side of the Internet, they’re likely to spend less time and money online. These products reduce those annoyances.
It’s early days, but I see some promise in Google Pack. However, please don’t ask me to say nice things about Google video whatever you do. Clients – send an inquiry if you’d like to hear a critique of Google’s video efforts.