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2009 Predictions and Recommendations to AT&T....

As we approach the new year, you're going to start seeing all sort of "expert" predictions and pontifications from analysts and consultants in the telecom world about what is to come in 2009 with AT&T.

Here's my take, based on the point of view from a real live consumer.

My 2009 predictions and recommendations to AT&T, including a proposed milk shake meeting at the Olmos Soda Fountain in San Antonio or the Mecca Cafe in Dallas with Chairman & CEO, Randall Stephenson.

Read all about it here in my column appearing in the San Antonio Express News.

Overall U-verse is Tops; But U-verse Experience Stores Are Pretty Mundane

Here's an example of a piece I just submitted to an Telecommunications industry trade publication, XChange Magazine on my take about U-verse and the Experience retail stores.

Do you have something to say about AT&T and your U-verse experience?

 

Why Doesn't AT&T Innovate at Retail the Way Apple Does?

AT&T's retail operations have the chance to take its innovation to the retail level, yet all they can see to come up with is Microsoft Surface P.O.P. displays.

Here is a case of where Apple is now developing "field trips" for school kids to the Apple store.

Why isn't AT&T doing the same thing at their Experience Stores?

Think about bringing in a child to teach them about:

1.   911
2.  What is IPTV
3.  What you can do with a home network
4.  How to be the tech support guru in your home
5.   How to program Mom and Dad's U-verse preferences
6.   How to get Mom and Dad to shut off the TV and pay attention to the kid.
7.   How to develop good texting behavior.
8.  How to protect yourself online.
9.  When to "friend" or not "friend" a stranger.
10. The history and life of Alexander Graham Bell

If you could send your child to an AT&T store for an "educational experience," what would you want them to learn?

Comments:  alan at weinkrantz dot com

AT&T Lauches Online "Experience" Store. Go shopping before you go shopping

AT&T has recently launched a new online version of its AT&T Experience store. 

The idea here is that  shoppers can “touch,” experience and purchase wireless devices and services online.

When you log on, the digital storefront is much akin to the real world physical layout and lets you try out  interactive demonstrations and tutorials in five categories of wireless products: phones and devices, music, video and Web, messaging, and e-mail and productivity.

My take is that it's a pretty good way to actually preview and prioritize what you may want to see in the real world before you arrive to the store. 

In the event you don't have an Experience Store in your market, then the online version is sort of OK, but does not substitute for the real thing, unless of course, you know what you are looking for.

Surface Metaphor Surfaces On Line

The online store has a virtual version of it's Microsoft Surface point of sale display that you can see in select stores.  It's fairly well executed and helps explains product and service categories such as:

Phones and Devices
By clicking on the simulated Microsoft Surface image at the front of the store, shoppers can see life-size video demonstrations of seven popular AT&T devices and explore their features, specifications and capabilities.

Featured devices include the Samsung A737, Sony Ericsson W580i, BlackBerry® Curve™ 8310, LG Shine and Windows Mobile-enabled devices such as the Pantech Duo™ and AT&T Tilt™.  Noticeably missing is the iPhone, which I still recommend you purchase at an Apple store and not from AT&T.

Music
While AT&T makes a claim to be an industry leader in mobile music, I still recommend Apple's iTunes over anything on the market.  If budget is an issue, buy a low-end phone from AT&T and buy a basic iPod from Apple. 

Video and Web
Again, I think video and web is pretty lame on any other device other than an iPhone.  Readers can hate me and send nasty emails for being so arrogant and opinionated, but I still think that no one does music, video and the web better and more effectively than Apple.

Messaging
Approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide are actively texting today, and AT&T offers unlimited text messaging to America’s largest wireless community. In the messaging area of the Online Experience Store, the LG Shine showcases AT&T Video Share, text messaging, instant messaging and multimedia messaging with interactive tutorials on a simulated phone display.  Be careful, though.  You can incur extra charges for texting depending on what package you buy.

E-mail and Productivity
OK- I am getting off my pro-Apple stance here.  If email is what you really need, nothing is better and more productive than a BlackBerry.  Even being an Apple iPhone bigot, there are times when I do miss my BlackBerry.  If I had a second choice, it would definitely be the BlackBerry. 

The other supposed "smart phones" are not so smart, hard to use, and over-bloated with features and applications that pretty much suck.

21 Experience Stores Across the US

Currently, AT&T has 21 physical Experience Store locations across the country, which offer customers a new way to shop for and experience an array of communications and entertainment services, showcasing AT&T’s complete portfolio of wireless, broadband, video and wireline voice products and services in an engaging, interactive format.

I've always found the stores I mystery shop to be friendly, helpful and nice.  If what you need is a basic wireless phone, or a BlackBerry, then you won't find a better place on the planet.  If you want the iPhone, got the Apple store instead. 

If you are considering killing cable or satellite, then I am all gung ho for U-verse TV and U-verse Voice. It's the best triple play offering on the market and is only getting better.

Comments?  alan at weinkrantz dot com

 

New Cisco IP Set Top Boxes Spotted at AT&T Store

Spotted in the wild:  Cisco's new IP Set Top Box for AT&T's U-verse.

I happened to be meandering in an AT&T store in San Antonio and spotted this display.

It's bird.  It's a plane.  No, it's a Cisco IPT V set top box for AT&T's U-verse offering.

Grrrr.....Still No iPhone.... And Alan Asks: "If AT&T Can Join Forces with the CIA, Why Can't They Provide Service to Deploy the iPhone?

I decided not to fight the crowds after all on Friday.

I did go by the store at the Quarry in San Antonio just to see who was there and who was doing what.   I had real work to do and was getting ready to leave town - en route to South Padre Island for the weekend.

I did try to download the updated version of iTunes and like many reported in the media, I too ran into the apparent outage  and overall fuck-up where I guess they (Apple / AT&T) did not allow for scale.

Even the day before, I mystery shopped three stores and when I started asking detail questions about the deployment I got a bunch of blank stares, when it went beyond stating the obvious.

I am sure both Apple and AT&T are not going to have a problem selling millions of the devices.  What is unforgiving to me is that this is, after all, is the phone company who is supposed to have the most advanced communications network in the world, the biggest backbone, the fastest fiber, the best of the best. 

It was not like the scaling issue was going to be a surprise and they did not know that this was going to be in huge demand.

All of this just does make sense, common sense, and just good business sense to me.

Yes, The New iPhone 3G Blends!

Here Are The iPhone Apps I Have Downloaded So Far

These are just a few of the applications I have downloaded so far.

Most have a social media element to them.

Will start to play with them once the service enables you to sync with the new 2.0 software update.

At 10:30 PM Tonight, No One Standing in Line at the AT&T Experience Store in San Antonio

Are we a bunch of weenies? 

As of 10:30 PM tonight, not only single person was standing in line for the new iPhone at the AT&T Experience store in my neighborhood in San Antonio.

Will check back early in the morning to see waz up....

Apple Launches New iPhones App Store on iTunes

Source:  from CNET / NYTimes has a very good story with a business angle on why this matters.

Download the new iTunes version here.