Shlomi Ron has a thought-provoking article on how telco marketers' mindsets have to change in an increasingly landless telephony world.
The land-line school of thought is characterized by a localized connectivity that "chains down" device users to one place -- at a point of access -- and demands multiple charges per connection and content consumption.
In contradiction, the landless school of thought preaches convergence, or full ubiquitivity (ubiquity+connectivity): the freedom to access information using multiple devices (e.g., desktop, laptop, cellphone, PDA, videogame consoles, et cetera) anytime, anywhere without complex and multiple fee schedules.
In terms of communication, land-line thinking is typically manifested with wireless carriers that charge for voice communication, text and data services and web services separately, with additional fees for each additional family member using the service. A landless business model would factor the cost of content into the cost of the access device, thus providing consumers with unlimited access to a Universal Content Country, supported by myriad content providers.
Today marketers are faced with two distinct challenges: delivery and content. Think about land-line delivery as a physical faucet: water (content) is gushing through at pre-designated locations, and the faucet makers control both the access and quality of water. Well, consumers are starting to demand the ability to carry their own glasses and drink their smart water on the go and on their own terms. Let's make sure we are still looked upon as a reservoir where users can fill those glasses, when and where they want to.