I recently had to switch from a Blackberry to a Treo, with the Good Technology software client for enterprise e-mail integration. Here are some observations after a month of use...
1. The Good software appears to be an unsophisticated version of the Blackberry in terms of usability and device integration. The lack of font-size adjustment and the poor use of the limited screen real-estate leaves a lot to be desired. Even after a month us usage, I am finding that the stylus is not able to hit the appropriate menus comfortably and I am having to repeat many steps
2. The Treo 680 battery does not last more than 24 hours. I had to purchase an extended battery, with a different back lid from an after-market company. I lost the lid on my first trip and had to purchase a second battery just for the lid. Compared to the 2-3 day battery life of a blackberry, I would suggest that the performance is unacceptable.
3. The Treo also has several other qwirks, such as not having a compact USB connector for power. These cables are much easier to find and can be used for multiple devices. Instead, I now am lugging one extra cable to charge the Treo.
4. The Treo is heavy!
So what did I like about the Treo? Fairly responsive, bright screen.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Bodrum, Turkey- the beauty of the coast and challenges of mobile coverage..
The last stop on our summer family vacation was at Bodrum, the southern most tip of Turkey. We stayed at our family vacation house on Meteor Beach http://www.meteorbeach.com, a secluded cove on the Bodrum peninsula. The water on the beach is crystal clear, with sand going out to water as far as the eye can see.
Living on the border has interesting challenges. The coastline of Turkey is an excellent example of fractals... There are thousands of inlets, coves and hills that cover the coast. Delivering quality mobile coverage to these areas is best done where there is clear line of sight. On the Turkish coast, that's from the islands across the water... Greek Islands. So, both in Ayvalik, where we stayed first, and in Bodrum, you can find a very clear Vodafone GREECE signal along with the signals from TURKCELL, VODAFONE TURKEY and AVEA! In some cases, the Greek signals are stronger because they travel unimpeded across the water. Many Turkish subscribers end up forcing their phones to manual mode to prevent a run up of roaming charges.
Living on the border has interesting challenges. The coastline of Turkey is an excellent example of fractals... There are thousands of inlets, coves and hills that cover the coast. Delivering quality mobile coverage to these areas is best done where there is clear line of sight. On the Turkish coast, that's from the islands across the water... Greek Islands. So, both in Ayvalik, where we stayed first, and in Bodrum, you can find a very clear Vodafone GREECE signal along with the signals from TURKCELL, VODAFONE TURKEY and AVEA! In some cases, the Greek signals are stronger because they travel unimpeded across the water. Many Turkish subscribers end up forcing their phones to manual mode to prevent a run up of roaming charges.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
AirTies
One of the interesting companies in the Telecom space in Turkey was founded by my friends Bulent Celebi, who was the CEO of Ubicom in Mountain View, and Ismail Taskin, a friend from the valley who was at Cisco working on WiFi. Airties (www.airties.com) is unique in the sense that they are developing consumer networking products and beating the large players like Cisco in their own game!
AirTies claims to have captured a large portion of the Turkish Market and is now expanding to Greece and other adjacent countries. I wish the founders Bulent and Ismail, as well as other friends like Bahar Baran (ex Net.com), Mujdat Pakkan (ex Syndeo) and others the best of luck in their startup in Istanbul Turkey.
AirTies claims to have captured a large portion of the Turkish Market and is now expanding to Greece and other adjacent countries. I wish the founders Bulent and Ismail, as well as other friends like Bahar Baran (ex Net.com), Mujdat Pakkan (ex Syndeo) and others the best of luck in their startup in Istanbul Turkey.
Telecom in Turkey
The Turkish Telecom market has always been on my radar, more so for its high tariffs than its dynamism, the mobile carriers being the exception. In the past few years though, a lot appears to have changed. First, Turk Telekom, the dominant carrier in the space, has been consistently delivering new services that are more consumer oriented. For example, ADSL service appears to be widely available.
One cool service on ADSL is the fact that you can move your service from one number to another within a day and back. My parents use this to move their ADSL service from Istanbul, their home base, to Ayvalik Turkey, 600km away, where they reside for the summer. Imagine trying to do that with other carriers...
Turk Telekom was privatized then sold to outside investors. This is now driving the company to be even more customer friendly. They are now advertising on TV, which is something very new. With the large population of Turkey and potential to acquire other carriers in the region, TT seems poised to do well soon.
One cool service on ADSL is the fact that you can move your service from one number to another within a day and back. My parents use this to move their ADSL service from Istanbul, their home base, to Ayvalik Turkey, 600km away, where they reside for the summer. Imagine trying to do that with other carriers...
Turk Telekom was privatized then sold to outside investors. This is now driving the company to be even more customer friendly. They are now advertising on TV, which is something very new. With the large population of Turkey and potential to acquire other carriers in the region, TT seems poised to do well soon.
Greetings from Ayvalik, Turkey!
Its never possible to perfectly time life's transitions. We had planned a long family vacation this summer, so soon after joining Polycom, we set out to gather the extended family in my parent's summer home on the Aegean coast of Turkey, at a town called Ayvalik (see google earth for an aerial view) or click here for a variety of pictures form the area http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/ayvalik_turkey
We are enjoying the azure waters of the Aegean while regaining the precious pounds we had lost in the last two months on irresistable food! The local fish is best served grilled, while the fresh fruit and olives produced within only a few miles away are to die for...
If you ever plan to see the area, Turkish Airlines (www.thy.com) and atlas Jet (www.atlasjet.com.tr) have regularly scheduled flights. We took a fast ferry from Istanbul to Bandirma (www.ido.com.tr) and then drove the remaining 260km in about three and a half hours including stops for food and the potty breaks for the little ones.
We are enjoying the azure waters of the Aegean while regaining the precious pounds we had lost in the last two months on irresistable food! The local fish is best served grilled, while the fresh fruit and olives produced within only a few miles away are to die for...
If you ever plan to see the area, Turkish Airlines (www.thy.com) and atlas Jet (www.atlasjet.com.tr) have regularly scheduled flights. We took a fast ferry from Istanbul to Bandirma (www.ido.com.tr) and then drove the remaining 260km in about three and a half hours including stops for food and the potty breaks for the little ones.
My new coordinates
I joined Polycom in mid-June 2007 as the Vice President of Marketing for the Voice Division. The new division covers voice product ranging from the well recognized conference phones, IP Desktop phones, recently acquired wireless phones and sophisticated voice processing products for large installations. Look for the products at www.polycom.com .
This is a change that I am enjoying immensely! Its a change to have 100's of channel partners serving thousands of end customers!
This is a change that I am enjoying immensely! Its a change to have 100's of channel partners serving thousands of end customers!
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