Business Phone System Reviews | SE Telecom

Last Friday, in a press conference addressing poor reception issues stemming from antenna placement with their new iPhone 4, Apple tried to shuck blame for the snafu by pointing out that other phone manufacturers have some of the same problems. Now, these same manufacturers are striking back at Apple.

As part of his impromptu press conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs pointed out that other phones suffered from these same issues, even exhibiting video that showed reception problems with people holding BlackBerry, Android, and Windows phones in certain ways, all of which diminished reception and resulted in dropped calls (since known as the ‘iPhone death grip’).

However, early this week after the Apple ‘antenna-gate’ announcement, the other phone manufacturers mentioned by Jobs are refuting his claims. Nokia was first, saying in an email message that antenna performance can be affected by a tight grip, but added: “that’s why Nokia designs our phones to ensure acceptable performance in all real-life cases, for example when the phone is held in either hand.”

BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) followed with a stronger, albeit less snarky response, saying that “Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation.” Ouch.

Yesterday, smart phone manufacturer HTC (of recent Evo fame) said that they have had similar problems with one of their phones, the Droid Eris, but got complaints from only about .016 percent of customers, far lower than the nearly .6 percent of customers complaining about the same issues on Apple’s iPhone 4.

When the dust settles, it is unclear whether Apple will be all that damaged by the reception issues fallout, or if their competitors such as RIM, HTC, or Nokia will have gained much ground on what’s still considered to be the best smart phone on the market. But what is clear, looking at these comments, is that neither side is going down without a fight.

Motorola, the US-based mobile phone maker, is looking to sell off the telecoms equipment part of their organization, and Nokia Siemens is the front-runner for the sale. The approximate price is thought to be between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.

The sale would boost the Finnish-based mobile provider’s infrastructure offerings, as Motorolla’s creds sheet comes included with customers like Sprint Nextel and China Mobile, the top Chinese mobile operator. They also have an agreement with KDDI, the second-largest Japanese mobile operator, to provide network infrastructure based on fourth-generation wireless technology LTE.

For Motorola, the sale would free them of an infrastructure focus, and allow them to split their smart phone manufacturing division onto its own. The split completed, they would be able to concentrate directly on their main and future money-maker, producing smart phones like the popular Droid.

Motorola has also held discussions about a sale of the division to Huawei Technologies, the Chinese telecoms equipment maker, but Nokia Siemens Networks is currently the frontrunner, sources reported. The deal, though apparently close, is not yet completed.

The presumed step for both companies, though unlikely to make waves in how mobile services are distributed and consumed, still underlines a growing trend in the telecommunications industry. With companies like Apple pushing the edge of smart phones and new devices (like the iPad) forward, the focus of nearly all companies is shifting to the smart phone market.

We use our smart phones for nearly everything now. And new devices like tablets may stretch our use-scenarios of technology even further. Smart phones are a part of the industry that’s about to blow up, and no one wants to be left behind.

Just last week, we wrote about the arrival of Verizon’s newest phone, the Droid X. Touted as equal parts iPhone killer and knight in shining armor for Verizon’s campaign to overtake Apple and AT&T at their own smart phone game, the Droid X has more than a few reasons to celebrate.

The Droid X runs on the highly-touted android platform from Google. It boasts a 1Ghz processor, an eight-megapixel camera that shoots 720p video, a HDMI output so you can transfer videos and pictures from your phone to your TV, and supports five wireless devices through a nifty feature called Wi-Fi hotspot. The phone costs $199.99 with a 2-year agreement.

We said at the time of the posting that it was a legitimate iPhone competitor. And with Apple taking a beating, both in consumer reports and in the public eye about reception issues on the iPhone 4 (AT&T customers will be quick to point out that it doesn’t take an iPhone 4 to create reception issues), the Droid X couldn’t have launched at a better time.

The statistics apparently back that up. Many Verizon stores are sold out of the Droid X already, joining the growing list of Android phones people can only get via back order. Verizon customers are already waiting until August for the Incredible, made by HTC, while Sprint is trying to keep some Evo phones on the shelf themselves.

The huge demand for android phones, like the new and sleek Droid X, isn’t completely unprecedented. Apple fans, after all, had to wait 1-2 weeks for delivery of their new iPhone 4s. However, it still remains a trend worth watching, providing evidence to the thoughts of many in the mobile industry… that Apple’s problems with customer service might finally catch up to them.

What the Droid X phones offer is a viable alternative to the iPhone and AT&T partnership. What people are doing with this alternative, clearly, is snatching them off the shelves. It will be interesting to see if Verizon can continue to capitalize on this intriguing trend, not to mention figure out how to keep their now more popular than ever phones in stock.

In what counts as news in the Apple-centered tech scene, Steve Jobs has called a press conference for Friday morning. Presumably, Jobs and Co. will address reception issues with their latest phone release, the iPhone 4.

Released just weeks ago, the new iPhone has been under siege by users complaining about reception issues while holding the phone in a certain way that interferes with the antenna (which runs around the outer edge of the phone). The reception issues have led to public backlash at Apple, as well as a poor review from Consumer Reports.

Apple’s original advice to users having reception issues was to hold the phone differently, but now it seems they’re taking a more tactful route. Some suggest that Apple will announce that they’ll offer to give a free protective case to owners of the phone — a $1-2 cost to them per item — while others think a full recall of the devices is in order.

Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross expected Apple to use the press conference to provide a simple remedy to users who are experiencing the problem, and try to redirect attention back to the iPhone 4’s strengths. “We do not expect a recall and believe Apple will quickly move past this issue,” Cross wrote in a research note.

Full recall or not, it’s almost universally believed that Apple is right to take some sort of action to remedy the problem. “We do believe that Apple needs to be more proactive in identifying and addressing the issues for the iPhone 4,” BMO Capital Markets analyst Keith Bachman wrote in a research note. “A real risk is if the press keeps talking about this issue, iPhone 4 growth could slow.”

While Apple has a unique position in the marketplace — almost dictating to potential customers what they want them to buy and when — it’s not exactly a revolutionary idea that even a company like Apple should be accountable for their mistakes.

If Apple was smart, and every sign points to an affirmative in this regard, then they’ll admit their development mistake, announce a quick fix, and get the attention back to the iPad (or the next phone release). If past indication of good management says anything, this is exactly what they will do on Friday.

India is rapidly becoming a test bed for all things technology. Well, Alcatel Lucent believe this. Alcatel Lucent believe this enough that they are using India as the testing zone for their 4G LTE technology. This might be a great new feature for India, but why LTE over WiMAX?

Until recently, Alcatel Lucent were huge proponents for WiMAX. Alcatel Lucent have done an about face and are now pushing LTE. The real answer could be that Alcatel Lucent have snagged two large contracts to pump out Verizon’s commercial LTE network to 25 US cities. AT&T will soon follow in this LTE race.

LTE has network advantages over WiMAX as well. India is a huge example for why the push to LTE has advantages over WiMAX. India is currently lacking mass 3G carriers. LTE easily integrates with a range of networks from CDMA to HSPCA. This means that carries currently only offering a 2G option can upgrade to 4G thanks to how nicely LTE plays with all these networks. WiMAX is not so friendly in this way.

What does this mean on the global scale though? Currently around 450 service providers are making the move to the LTE technology. This means consumers could see one standard for all mobile broadband devices. This will keep things simple and allow for greater saturation of this mobile broadband technology on the global scale.

Alcatel Lucent see more advantages to LTE than just cell phone broadband markets. LTE has potential in public safety markets. These markets could use the LTE services to provide real time monitoring. Cable operators could offer their broadband phone services, or VoIP, through LTE services.

LTE has a lot of potential. Mobile broadband has the opportunity to hit more people in more places. This just might be a solution for rural customers who currently have no form of broadband access. While Verizon is charging ahead with LTE in the US, India could become a key player in how LTE evolves and grows. Exciting times are ahead for all of us.

On a day when Apple was getting panned for reception issues in its newest iPhone release, their main competitor RIM was rolling out a new add-on for their suite of BlackBerry devices. BlackBerry Protect gives users more control over their device, allowing them to remotely backup, restore and locate their phone from any desktop computer.

BlackBerry Protect, available for free from the BlackBerry App World, does the job of numerous previous apps of different names. Its primary features give users remote device management, which includes the ability to activate a loud ringer (think car alarm), lock their device or change their password, wipe their device clean, and more.

Protect also gives users more backup options, including support for calendars and contacts, memos, text messages, and more. It also has more administration options, based on a new BlackBerry account system (called BlackBerry ID), presumably making it a launching pad for more RIM-released applications that connect to each other.

The launch of BlackBerry Protect is an important step for RIM, and will probably prove to be a useful one for owners of the popular devices. Short of reinventing the wheel, and more bringing some common features together under one integrated umbrella, Protect offers device users more convenience, safety, and most importantly, security.

BlackBerry is known as an enterprise device, and while Apple has stolen the most trendy of smart phone users, most business people still prefer BlackBerrys. These business people are also the ones most likely to store sensitive information on their phone, and the ones most likely to need security software installed.

Security is one of the primary, if not most important factors we consider when recommending or installing phone systems for our clients. This applies to a comprehensive business phone system as well as a fleet of business cell phones. Because it’s a given that people will always misplace their mobile technology, it also needs to be a given that it can be protected or recovered remotely when that happens.

BlackBerry Protect, an in-house solution to the information safety question, takes security out of the hands of independent app producers, and delivers peace of mind directly to RIM device users. The new app won’t lead any new flashy TV adds, but Protect might just sway an enterprise user or buy one (or another) BlackBerry.

Thursday could mark a very happy day for Verizon. The sexy new android phone will be hitting store shelves. The Motorola Droid X could be the knight in shinning armor to bring massive amounts of money to Verizon.

Here is why the Droid X stands a great chance at becoming as hot, if not hotter, than the HTC Evo 4G. The Droid X is touting a 1Ghz processor, eight-megapixel camera that will support 720p video, HDMI output so you can watch those videos of your kids in the park on your TV, and it will support five wireless devices through a nifty feature called Wi-Fi hotspot. Tech specs are not the only items in this money-pillaging arsenal.

iPhone 4 bashing has put many consumers on the lookout for a new phone. The most notable of the iPhone 4 hate has come from Consumer Reports. You may have heard that Consumer Reports has recently taken the iPhone 4 through a series of tests. Those tests resulted in poor antenna design issues causing Consumer Reports to yank the iPhone 4 from their list of recommended phones.

There are also the mounting court battles that AT&T and Apple are facing. The court battle for Apple comes in sleek class action lawsuits that are forming all over due to the terrible antenna design. Apple’s lackluster response is only compounding the issues here.

AT&T is starting to see lawsuits due to their exclusive deal with Apple. While these lawsuits stand little chance of ever getting off the courtroom floor, it is still providing much unneeded negative publicity.

Competition is a wonderful thing. The Motorola Droid X is a fair iPhone 4 competitor. The Android platform is rapidly gaining steam. There is also that little item of Verizon having a much more reliable network. The Droid X will be hitting store shelves in the morning and Verizon is claiming enough phones for everyone. This means you can leave the tent at home.