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- Alek Krstajic Rides High AgainToday
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Canada’s wireless industry is a cozy club with one of the highest ARPU rates (aka how much consumers cough up each month) among the world’s leading industrial countries.
Over the past few years, it has meant juicy profits for Canada’s three largest carriers - Rogers, Telus and Bell. In particular, Rogers has been humming along with its GSM network, which has given its first dibs on new products such as the iPhone, as well as lucrative profits from roaming fees.
Alek Krstajic is looking to crash this wireless party with a new low-cost wireless service that will be launched in the third-quarter in Ontario and Quebec. It will be a no-frills, flat-rate for people just looking for basic wireless service. The target audience is the roughly 25% of the population that doesn’t use a wireless phone yet, as well as people looking for cheaper service.
Krstajic can talk the talk with anyone within the telecom industry but it’s more than apparent that BMV is going to walk the walk with a solid group of investors, including a recent agreement from OMERS Private Equity to invest as much as $50-million. The deal is a feather in BMV’s cap given the current economic landscape and the fact this is OMERS first direct investment in the wireless sector.
Despite the fact Rogers, Bell and Telus have been rolling out low-cost plans recently, Krstajic is confident there’s plenty of room f - Minor Miracle: I’m Buying Music AgainJanuary 7
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It has been years since I bought a music CD. And although iTunes has made it a breeze to purchase music online, I can’t really claim I’ve jumped on the digital bandwagon…until now.What has turned me into a music consumer again is Rich Terfry (aka Buck 65), who hosts the afternoon drive show on CBC Radio 2. As a musician with a deep and wonderful knowledge of artists and a variety of musical genre, Terfry puts on a show with excellent music, featuring artists that otherwise wouldn’t be exposed on the national stage.
It may be that Terfry’s musical taste match my own or that he’s simply highlighting great music but I’ve found myself over the past few weeks listening to a song, and then flipping over to iTunes to buy it. I haven’t purchased a huge amount of music but the fact I’m buying music again is significant given I’ve been a non-consumer recently.
The question is why Terfry’s show has inspired the consumer in me when there are services around like Pandora and Jango. I guess it comes
- Be Well, Steve JobsJanuary 5
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For everyone obsessed with Steve Jobs’ health, the speculation can now be put to a rest after Jobs issued a public letter.
Perhaps everyone can now focus on something else such as, for example, Barack Obama’s presidency, the volatile economic conditions, or the Super Bowl.
As far as Jobs and his health, I’m happy to hear that his health problems have been discovered, and that he’s getting the treatment needed to get better.
Be well, Mr. Jobs.
Technorati Tags: Apple, steve jobs
- Prizes Beyond the iPhoneJanuary 2
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I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions but one thing I think people running contests should avoid this year is offering iPhones as prizes.Sure, the iPhone is a hot property that gives contests a little extra sizzle but it’s just so 2008. As well, everyone’s doing it so the novelty factor has disappeared.
So, what could replace the iPhone as the go-to contest prize in 2009? And if you can refrain from suggesting a new iPod Touch, that would be great!
Technorati Tags: advertising, Apple
- It’s Not a Beta Ban But…January 2
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As someone fascinated by the groaning buffet of Web 2.0 selections, it should not come as a surprise that I love betas.
If something sounds even slightly interesting, I’ll happily sign up. After all, the only cost is time and the risk of having update e-mails appear in your inbox for several months until you unsubscribe.
But as 2009 appears on the horizon, one of my digital resolutions is being more selective about dining out at the beta buffet. Instead of gorging, I’m going to try to be more discriminating. I will only register for a beta if it sounds like something I would actually use.
This, of course, still leaves lot of room for digital dabbling and curiosity quenching but if I can be a little more disciplined about beta, that can only be a good thing.
It’s probably not going to be easy but it will be worth the effort.
More: Speaking of betas, one thing that’s particularly aggravating is signing up for a soon-to-be-released beta, and then getting an e-mail that you still have to wait. A good example is Gist, which sent an e-mail thanking me for my support but that I’m still on the outside looking in.
