The History of Cingular/AT&T Wireless

[wjp09]

The History of Cingular/AT&T Wireless as told by Stephen Colbert.
Historically Accurate
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2004785759717366066

[ColsTiger]

Yeah, I remember when that first came out. It was hilarious.

[wot_fan]

I hadn't seen that before. Pretty funny. Thanks ;).

[wjp09]

hes a pretty funny guy. I was looking all over for that clip.

[archer6]

Here's an excerpt from an article:

Apple & AT&T Partnership:
AT&T has already received more than a million inquiries about iPhones, according to Mark Siegel, a spokesman for the company's wireless business.

Interest in iPhones and Apple's historically deft marketing tactics will drive people to AT&T stores, where prices of 499 and 599 dollars for iPhone models might result in customers opting for less expensive AT&T offerings.

The Apple nuts will buy it right off the bat.

A danger in the alliance is that Apple has a pattern of ending partnerships painfully for the other parties.Apple's first venture into mobile telephones with Motorola's ROKR model and service by Cingular, which was recently taken over by AT&T, was abandoned by Apple almost as soon as it was unveiled. "Apple has a history of leaving its partners bleeding or bloody in the dust," analyst Rob Enderle told AFP.

Apple doesn't have much experience in mobile phones. In some ways, Apple is out of its league."

There are a lot of non-iPod users out there today, but the vast majority of people have mobile telephones," Strother said. "Apple has to be wondering how to drive into the bigger market before its lunch gets eaten.

source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070524/tc_afp/usittelecommusicfilmcompanyappleatt;_ylt=Aje2SGumL fCJINKCYvZmAPQjtBAF

[wjp09]

Here's an excerpt from an article:

Apple & AT&T Partnership:
AT&T has already received more than a million inquiries about iPhones, according to Mark Siegel, a spokesman for the company's wireless business.

Interest in iPhones and Apple's historically deft marketing tactics will drive people to AT&T stores, where prices of 499 and 599 dollars for iPhone models might result in customers opting for less expensive AT&T offerings.

The Apple nuts will buy it right off the bat.

A danger in the alliance is that Apple has a pattern of ending partnerships painfully for the other parties.Apple's first venture into mobile telephones with Motorola's ROKR model and service by Cingular, which was recently taken over by AT&T, was abandoned by Apple almost as soon as it was unveiled. "Apple has a history of leaving its partners bleeding or bloody in the dust," analyst Rob Enderle told AFP.

Apple doesn't have much experience in mobile phones. In some ways, Apple is out of its league."

There are a lot of non-iPod users out there today, but the vast majority of people have mobile telephones," Strother said. "Apple has to be wondering how to drive into the bigger market before its lunch gets eaten.

source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070524/tc_afp/usittelecommusicfilmcompanyappleatt;_ylt=Aje2SGumL fCJINKCYvZmAPQjtBAF

What are you talking about? Did you try to start a new thread?

[archer6]

What are you talking about? Did you try to start a new thread?

The title of the thread is history of Cingular/AT&T.

I saw this article which relates as it's current, and speaks of the trends and arrangements between AT&T and Apple.

Therefore I simply clipped the article, I did not write it, as you can see I included the source so that anyone that wanted to read the entire article they could.

[ColsTiger]

What are you talking about? Did you try to start a new thread?

They quickly followed up the ROKR with the SLVR though and that was a Cingular exclusive as well. And while they may not be selling the ROKR or the SLVR anymore, they still sold many, many ROKRs and SLVRs at Cingular.

Just call me a sucker, but I bought one of each.

[joe]

I hardly consider an opinion piece that has quotes from Enderle worth referencing.

How did the Apple/MOT relationship end? How did Apple abandon MOT and their phone?

[ebrunn]

"At&t is the T-1000 of corporations"
:laugh2::laugh2:

[wjp09]

Lol. Oh stephen

[ATTingular]

How did the Apple/MOT relationship end? How did Apple abandon MOT and their phone?

They basically told Moto to suck it and Apple went off to make the iPhone. This is a extremely touchy subject at Moto, a lot of people still feel betrayed.

[ColsTiger]

They basically told Moto to suck it and Apple went off to make the iPhone. This is a extremely touchy subject at Moto, a lot of people still feel betrayed.

Last I checked Cingular was still selling the V3i (with iTunes), but they have dropped the ROKR for a while and the SLVR just recently. Doubt MOto will be making many more V3i phones with iTunes for obvious reasons.

[joe]

They basically told Moto to suck it and Apple went off to make the iPhone. This is a extremely touchy subject at Moto, a lot of people still feel betrayed.

Ok, gotcha. But did Apple do something wrong? Breach of contract?

[ColsTiger]

Ok, gotcha. But did Apple do something wrong? Breach of contract?

I don't think so. I think they just wanted a better phone to run their software. Moto evidently didn't want to do that.

[ATTingular]

I don't think so. I think they just wanted a better phone to run their software. Moto evidently didn't want to do that.

You don't think so? We'll that's more or less what happened. Yes, the ROKR E1 was not what Apple wanted, but rather than work with Motorola to get something more to their liking, Apple sent Moto CEO Ed Zander a dear John.

The end result of all this is a great product, but the road to it is not without its blemishes.

Ok, gotcha. But did Apple do something wrong? Breach of contract?

Nothing illegal or a breach of contract, they just left for their own path. Whether or not it is unethical to work with another company, only to almost immediately take the knowledge gained and make a competing product is something I leave to you.

[joe]

You don't think so? We'll that's more or less what happened. Yes, the ROKR E1 was not what Apple wanted, but rather than work with Motorola to get something more to their liking, Apple sent Moto CEO Ed Zander a dear John.

The end result of all this is a great product, but the road to it is not without its blemishes.



Nothing illegal or a breach of contract, they just left for their own path. Whether or not it is unethical to work with another company, only to almost immediately take the knowledge gained and make a competing product is something I leave to you.

I think that's a risk anytime you let another company inside to see how you operate. This is a little similar sounding to Xerox giving Apple a tour of PARC (Xerox agreed to receive Apple stock in exchange for the visits). This is why companies sign agreements for their partnership. It would be interesting to hear this story from both Zander and Jobs. Anyone have any relevant links?

I would also argue, as Jobs probably would, that Apple didn't create a competing product since Moto doesn't make anything as advanced as the iPhone.

[JeffBobula]

I too laughed my ass off at the T-1000 comment. So confusing yet so funny!