Atlantic City, NJ – For years, the nation’s largest cellular carrier, Verizon, has operated with a “walled garden” approach to mobile data services, meaning that it would not permit downloads of independent content to its customers. The walled garden, however, may soon fall down.
A recent survey by Handango found that third-party applications had a “strong influence” or “somewhat of an influence” on 69 percent of consumers’ decisions to choose their carriers and phone models. The survey of over 14,000 mobile content users found that the ability to utilize third-party content was a “powerful influencer” in mobile phone decision making. The survey also suggests that users of mobile content are more satisfied and less likely to change brands or carriers.
Up until now, Verizon and Sprint have maintained their networks solely for its own mobile data content. This also applied to the third-party use of premium SMS. Industry analysts, however, are now speculating that Verizon and then Sprint may soon permit the use of premium SMS services on its network for third party content. Apparently, the carriers are starting to realize that by not offering this service, it is akin to possibly losing millions of potential customers.
According to the Cool Ringtones Blog (http://www.coolringtones.blogspot.com), a blog site that reports on the mobile ringtone industry, long time ringtone provider Ringingphone (http://www.ringingphone.com) is now providing ringtones and cellular wallpapers to Verizon customers. It is believed that this is the first instance where an independent ringtone provider has begun selling ringtones and wallpapers to Verizon customers.
Perhaps the walled garden has already crashed down.
For Immediate ReleaseJuly 1, 2005Contact: Anthony Wayne (revolutionarywarhero1776@yahoo.com)
