MOTODEV Summit – San Jose: TU 206 Working with Carriers – A View from the OEM

September 11th, 2007 by Eric


MOTODEV Summit
MOTODEV Summit – San Jose

Session: Title:
Moderator:		 TU 206
Working with Carriers – A View from the OEM
John Ellis
Director, Carrier Market Development,
Ecosystem and Market Development, Motorola, Inc.
Panelists: Carrier Market Development Team, Ecosystem and Market Development, Motorola, Inc.
Summary As software becomes more of the compelling piece of the mobile story, developers from around the world are converging on and engaging in the mobile device space. However, developing for an embedded, consumer-oriented device that is strongly regulated brings new challenges for many developers. In Working with Carriers, Motorola will discuss topics developers need to consider as they move into the exciting world of mobile software.

Takeaways from this session:

  • If you are trying to sell to a mobile operator, there are two main things to think about:
    1. FOCUS: Target the markets that the carrier is focused on. Doesn’t make sense to pitch a Youth application, if the mobile operator targets enterprise users
    2. SPIN: Listen to the message of each mobile operator and make sure you incorporate that into your pitch when trying to sell to a mobile operator. If you don’t weave that into your story, they will think that you don’t understand them
  • Make your application or service carrier grade*. Since mobile operators are concerned about providing services that are always available, taking shortcuts and creating and application that does not work well within a given network does not bode well for joint success. Make sure that you thoroughly test the application and work out all the bugs. Quality is important!
  • When a problem occurs with your application, typically it is the mobile operator that will have to field the issue. Typically it will cost the mobile operator $7.00 USD/call!
  • If you are trying to get your application or service pre-loaded onto a handset, look at what is on the handset today and offer something different and compelling, not just a copy or similar application or service to what is there now.
  • Also, Motorola touts to use them as a conduit to get to the carrier; direct selling might be too hard.
  • A number of $0.20 USD was thrown out as an example of a royalty of what a developer might get if their software is pre-loaded onto a handset.

* Carrier grade: A term that implies a system that is designed to have increased availability and timeliness to meet the requirements of a modern communications network element.
Reference: OSDL Japan

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