Scroll down for Jeff KAGAN BLOG

Photo from New York Times article
Jeff KAGAN
Wireless and telecom industry analyst
Analyst ~ Consultant ~ Speaker ~ Trend Watcher ~ Market researcher ~ Provocateur
Analysis, research and comment on the changing telecommunications industry since the mid 1980's
Kagan attends and speaks at a wide variety of meetings of all competitors, and at meetings of investors and investment groups, advertising and public relations groups, university and educational groups, and more . . .
White House
NewsHour

One of America's most prolific industry commentators!
Jeff KAGAN is one America's best known and most often quoted telecom industry analysts
Jeff Kagan is a telecom industry analyst focusing on the changing wireless and wire-line telecommunications business. He examines the competitive technologies and the advertising and marketing issues and strategies these companies face as they compete. This includes technology trends, customer behavior, business models, and attitudes of both the customer and the competitors.
Kagan is not a stock analyst, however he watches the rise and fall of stock prices of competitors of the industry over the last twenty years. He examines their history, where they are now, and where they are expected to be in the months and years ahead and why.
He offers strategic vision and advice to those looking for his insight. He offers commentary to a variety of clients, competitors, investment groups, advertising and public relations agencies and a variety of other companies and groups through teleconferences, speeches, reports and meetings.
Kagan regularly meets with and talks with the competitors, compares their strategies, products, services, competitive actions and offers comments in speeches, articles, research and in conversations with the media.
There is a difference between investors and customers. The investment community wants improvements in stock price on a regular basis. Customers care about how the company is delivering and pricing services and how well those services work. These two areas can often be in opposition.
Kagan has tracked the companies as the industry evolves over the last twenty years, from local and long distance companies, to wireless, to internet and now to television.
He follows all the companies and is available to participate in their analyst relations programs.
His earnings are generated from a variety of fees including speaking fees and consulting fees.
He follows the news, announcements, competitive issues and trends of the industry and offers comment, analysis and opinion to the media, to companies and at industry meetings and conferences.
His comments and analysis have shown up in thousands of articles and news stories in all the major print and broadcast media including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, Fortune, CNN, CNBC, ABC, CBS, etc.
As a nationally recognized industry analyst he is also a highly sought speaker, commentator, columnist, professional agitator and author.
Kagan has given keynote addresses and speeches at a wide variety of of corporate meetings and industry conferences ranging in size from a handful of senior execs to a few thousand customers, employees or conference attendees.
He is also called on by advertising and public relations agencies and many other firms who are interested in his analysis of the changing industry and marketplace, and who want to brief him on their announcements and strategies.
Kagan is a 'fee based' analyst. He gives interviews, analysis and insights to the media for free, and charges everyone else.
As a "friend to all" he brings an objective, outside perspective on competitive and customer issues and trends. Mr. Kagan started his practice in 1987.
Click here for BIO & BACKGROUNDER
|
Jeff KAGAN BLOG: Jeff KAGAN posts thoughts on the wireless and wire-line telecom industry he covers. If helpful, you may quote Kagan and use any of these comments in your reporting of these stories. Attribute quotes to Jeff Kagan, wireless and telecom industry analyst based in Atlanta.
Photo from New York Times article
Kagan on
Nokia and the cellphone marketplace
Nokias
announcement today has caused quite a mess. Nokias stock has dropped and
it appears that has triggered the drop among all the
wireless handset makers.
Some handset
makers are recovering. The ones that are recovering for the most part
are the Smartphone makers. Companies that are known for traditional
cellphones are not bouncing back like makers of Smartphone's seem to be.
This seems
to have been going on for several months and quarters already.
Customers
are hanging on their traditional cellphones longer as the economy
tightens. However the Smartphone segment is still growing strong.
When the
economy strengthens it should be positive for traditional handset
makers, but we may be waiting a while.
We have to
remember, growth at these cellphone makers is still positive, its just
slower than it has been and Wall Street doesn't like that kind of dip.
Kagan on
price war for high speed internet services
This is
something that many would consider unexpected. Verizon and AT&T
seem to have launched a price war on high speed DSL services.
DSL growth
has been vibrant during recent years, however as every market grows, it
matures and the rules change. That seems to be what is happening to
high speed DSL pricing.
This is
good news for customers because the price they pay for some of these DSL
services is going down. Almost two-thirds of the marketplace
already has a high speed internet service. These services are the first
wave that we have been using during the last decade. The next step may
combine high-speed internet with other services.
Last
quarter Verizon lost DSL customers. That was the first time we have seen
that happen among the competitors. Some of those customers simply moved
to Verizon's FiOS service, however there is a bigger issue at play.
Verizon has
gotten much more aggressive in their pricing for these DSL services.
Will that stem the flow? Will AT&T and Qwest make similar moves?
What about the cable television companies?
This is new
so we will see what happens next. During this last quarter cable
television companies have sold more high speed lines than phone
companies, perhaps because of the higher speeds. Is speed becoming a
marketing issue?
We'll have
to watch this area going forward for changes.
Kagan on T
Mobile offering new Google Android phone
Well it
looks like T Mobile may be the first carrier to offer the new Android
phone by Google. Like Apple with the iPhone, Google is getting ready to
launch their first phone. This is an interesting story. First there was
Apple and now it is Google. Neither of these companies have anything to
do with cellphones.
So far
Apple has been very successful in the space. Google may also strike
gold. However we have not seen a handset and we do not know how well it
works. This is a new segment of the wireless industry we are watching
unfold.
We have to
be careful talking about this new device and not get out ahead of our
headlights.
This should
be good news for T Mobile who will finally have a competitive answer to
the iPhone from AT&T and the Instinct from Sprint Nextel.
The
question is, will this new Google device be a breakthrough or a
follower.
Will it be
easy to use? Will it have breakthrough technology or just another me-to
phone?
We have
been watching the cellphone industry get more interesting during the
last few years. The devices do more, and they do it easier than ever
before. That is they key.
Meanwhile
we have not heard or seen anything from Google of from T Mobile about
this phone. So lets not get ahead of ourselves.
Kagan on
iPhone
I have been
using the newest iPhone during the last few weeks. I test many wireless
devices. The iPhone was a little different. I needed to hook it up to my
computer and connect it to iTunes to get it to work.
During the
first few days I was not that happy since some functions did not
seem to work properly, but then the first iPhone update appeared and
things started getting better quickly. There have been several updates
over the last few weeks. Apparently as users call with
problems and solutions are found, updates are issued.
At this
point the iPhone seems to work very well. I have been reading some
news stories about problems, but I have not seen them after the
first update. Users with problems should hook their iPhone up
to their laptop regularly to download the updates. Each seem to
make the phone work better. The problem is many users do not
regularly update their phone. Its easy, just hook it up once in a while.
The software takes care of the update automatically.
The iPhone
has features that are better than many other cellphones. The internet is
a big deal. It is like reading a smaller version of a real internet
page. You can use your fingers, on screen, to enlarge or reduce the
image for easier reading. This is the same with Maps feature. While you
are driving a blinking dot -- that is your car -- moves along the roads.
Plus it has traffic updates, and a feature that changes from a map view
to an actual photo from a satellite so you can watch yourself travel
across the landscape.
If you use
Microsoft Outlook and you use the Notes feature you will find that does
not show up on your iPhone. On the Palm phones it is transferred and
called Memos. Some phones do this and others don't. The iPhone has a
Notes feature, but it does not connect synchronize with the Microsoft
Outlook version.
The
internet is much faster than it used to be. This makes using the iPhone
much more pleasurable. Downloading email is much faster with this new
version also. There are several popular features right on the screen
when you hook it up. Weather lets your select a handful of your favorite
cities to watch. Checking the weather can be as easy as hitting one
button.
Features
like text messages, camera, YouTube are popular and of course the iPod
and iTunes are always with you.
The battery
is improved over version one last year. Unfortunately you still cannot
buy a backup battery and swap them when the first one dies. So keeping
your eye on the battery is important. You don't want to use up the
battery listening to music and not be able to make an important call.
All is all
the iPhone is an excellent device. There are a few things that are not
perfect, but generally speaking the device works very well. Just make
sure to update the phone on a regular basis by plugging it into your
computer and internet connection to get all the new features and fixes.
|
Sign up here for
Kagan analysis and commentary via e-mail for reporters and the media
If you are in the media, and cover telecom and consumer electronics, and would like me to add you to this e-mail commentary list just send me a quick e-mail and let me know. This list is exclusively for members of the media who follow tech and telecom.
SEND EMAIL TO jeff@jeffkagan.com
CNBC
Kagan in the news;
Jeff Kagan is quoted in media stories on the wireless and telecom and consumer electronics industry in major media nationwide and globally, hundreds of times per year, year after year, in newspapers, magazines, trade journals, television and radio.
Telecom Trends; A look at what's ahead for telecom in '07, with Jeffrey Kagan... and CNBC's David Faber.
"What man is key to press coverage of the telecommunications industry? What man's disappearance would bring telco reporting to a grinding halt? Never heard of Jeff Kagan? Well, obviously you don't read about the telecom industry. Because if you did, you'd have heard of him, all right."
"One of America's most often quoted industry analysts"
"One of America's most influential industry analysts"
"Telecom analyst and Internet Prognosticator, Jeff Kagan"
"Jeffrey Kagan is a top telecom analyst and 15 year industry vet"
"It's fair to say that Jeffrey Kagan of Atlanta is an expert on telecommunications. He wrote a book on the subject, gives interviews and speeches and keeps up with the latest trends."

Kagan Among Most Influential Analysts
AdWeek and Technology Marketing magazines named Jeff Kagan one of the most influential technology industry analysts in America. And from that short list the highest ranked telecom industry analyst, in their Influencers Report.
. . . how do I know what I think until I see what I said?
Want a sampling of articles Kagan has either written or been quoted in?
He has been quoted in thousands of articles from every major newspaper, magazine, television, cable and radio network.
To find a sampling of news stories, articles or columns Kagan has either written or been quoted in, use your favorite search engine or try these.
Click these . . .
find Jeff KAGAN quotes on . . .
Google Microsoft Network Yahoo AllTheWeb.com
NOTE TO POTENTIAL NEW CLIENTS
Over the last twenty years I have followed the wireless, telecom and consumer electronics space. Working as an analyst I have followed all the major competitors including Baby Bells, long distance companies, wireless phone companies, internet companies, equipment firms, cable television companies and consumer electronics companies.
I have always worked with all the competitors. Therefore I invite you to contact me and discuss becoming a client company so I can track your company more closely in relation to the competitors and offer helpful and more accurate analysis to the marketplace.
My Book

Winning Communications Strategies
Here is how to contact Jeff KAGAN
Comments ~ Questions ~ Suggestions ~ Complaints ?
Send email to jeff@jeffkagan.com
Telephone 770.579.5810
Address; PO Box 670562, Marietta GA 30066