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Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

Summary: "Carriers are beginning to coalesce around the need for a third ecosystem," says Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

Wireless carriers really want a No. 3 mobile operating system to balance the power of Google's Android and Apple's iOS, but the wild card is whether consumers play along.

Speaking at a Goldman Sachs investment conference Wednesday, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam was asked about whether he was confident that there will be a No. 3 mobile operating system.

McAdam said:

The carriers are beginning to coalesce around the need for a third ecosystem. I just saw in today's paper, as an example, Samsung has now announced they are going to open up the operating system that they developed, so they are a possibility. Microsoft is a possibility. RIM is a possibility. And I think that over the next 12 months, I think it will coalesce and you will start to see one emerge as a legitimate third ecosystem.

McAdam's remarks seem to indicate that the wireless carriers want another mobile platform and that there are levers that may work ensure a solid No. 3.

However, consumers have to buy in. For instance, RIM is talking about its BlackBerry 7 devices and QNX superphones, but the ultimate sell through remains to be seen. Microsoft is partnered with Nokia, which has little to no U.S. presence. Can carriers do enough promotion and pricing stunts to ensure a No. 3 mobile OS? And if they do will consumers buy in automatically?

Related:

Topics: Mobility, Operating Systems, BlackBerry, Security, Software, Verizon, Wi-Fi

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14 comments
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  • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

    Let???s see if RIM makes a solid comeback. I know plenty of people (business people) that swear by their blackberries.
    Rick_Kl
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

    I vote for webOS from HP/Palm.
    mrye@...
    Reply Vote

  • Windows phone will be the one

    Once people actually get to see it and talk to those that have one they will be more likely to buy one. HTC Incredible used to be the best phone I ever owned, but now its the HTC Trophy with Windows Phone 7. I have had this phone for 3 months and it has never slowed down once or locked up on me where I was required to restart the phone. I can't say I have ever had a phone that went 3 months without that. My girlfriend used to have an iPhone and she was so frustrated with restarting and slowdowns she moved to Android and has had a much better experience. Its all about marketing and hush hush users that won't actually give you the truth about the "so-called" best smartphone. Heck 45% don't even know Windows Phone exists so it will take some time and some new phones and I think it will start selling more.
    OhTheHumanity
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

      @OhTheHumanity LOL...yeah, so many other iPhone users are "frustrated with restarting and slowdowns" they have moved to Android too! But yet report the highest customer satisfaction rating and an 87% loyalty rate...compared to Androids 54%. In other words why can't people just make their point without making things up..cause THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID. Or as we say.."pics or it didn't happen". LOL
      NotTellinYou
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

        @NotTellinYou
        No worries if you don't believe me, but the truth is the truth. I was the one that had to hear her complain almost daily about the problems with her phone and it especially krept up when they did the updates and she would have much rather reverted back, but could not at that point. She now has a Samsung Galaxy and minus some quirks here and there it is a solid phone and she really likes it. She also loved the fact that she could get over the air updates and never had to plug her phone into a computer ever again. Its also safe to say that most Apple fans are very loyal indeed. Many will claim up and down that their iphone has never and will never skip a beat. Not saying iPhone is crap, but to say it never has issues is not true because I know plenty that have them.
        OhTheHumanity
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

      @OhTheHumanity
      To put it bluntly, you made-up story. I do not believe a word of it.
      Restricted_access
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

        @ptorning
        Great, enjoy your ignorance.
        OhTheHumanity
        Reply Vote

  • It won't be WP for Verizon

    Because it's obvious that Verizon doesn't care 2 cents about WP7. With Mango days away, they haven't announced any Mango devices and their in-store commitment to WP7 is nil. MS has to do something about this or they stand almost no chance of gaining traction with Verizon customers. A better marketing campaign would be a good start. And please push the cool factor over the IQ based commercials.
    jjworleyeoe
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

      @jjworleyeoe
      Add on to the fact that the Verizon CEO pretty much said they had no interest in WP7 and dismissed it when it was announced.
      LoverockDavidson_-24231404894599612871915491754222
      Reply Vote

      • If you want WP7 to be a success

        It needs to get its own "Verizon".

        I don't mean that in the way that it needs Verizon specifically, but that it needs something like them. Android took off because of a lot of reasons, one of them being a carrier to push them.

        Android had Verizon, iPhone (aside from brand recognition) had AT&T, and WP7 has... nobody championing it.
        Michael Alan Goff
        Reply Vote

  • Is anyone forgetting ...

    ... that mobile carriers are in a "frenemy" relationship with the current two mobile OS market leaders?
    daboochmeister
    Reply Vote

  • The Time Is Past For Proprietary OSes

    Android has shown the way, and any credible additional competitors must also be Free/Open-Source software. Nobody can afford to lock themselves into proprietary dead-ends any more.
    ldo17
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

      @ldo17
      No, Android has actually proven just the opposite. They are the number one target for malware. I have and Android phone and avoid most apps.
      kcwookie@...
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Verizon CEO: There will be a legit No. 3 mobile OS

    It doesn't matter what the carriers want. Consumers want what they want and they don't have to want a third OS. Currently, only one OS, maybe two are on all systems. On T-Mobile, I don't want either of them.
    kcwookie@...
    Reply Vote
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