| When we think of cell phones, we often think of | | | | York Times in the business section; "Nokia Profit |
| our own personal needs for communication and | | | | Rises on Smart Phone Sales and Cost-Cutting" - |
| personal tech devices. We often marvel at the | | | | seems to explain the whole thing. These |
| incredible smart phones available in the | | | | companies are running redline and they are now |
| marketplace today. In fact, if you go out to shop | | | | competing with Asian companies that are mass |
| for a smart phone or one of these new super cell | | | | producing smart phones and smart phones. |
| phones, you are amazed at all the features and all | | | | Many of these companies have been making cell |
| the product choices. | | | | phones for a long time such as Samsung, |
| In this article I'd like you to see another side to | | | | Mitsubishi, and others. But LG and HTC have also |
| your cell phone; I'd like you to understand some | | | | entered the market and are attempting to get a |
| of the market drivers and some of the | | | | piece of the action. Major retailers like Wal-Mart |
| companies that make their money from producing | | | | have recently announced new programs. One |
| these devices, selling these devices, or providing | | | | program and cell phone plan is called "Straight |
| this service for smart phones; the cell phone | | | | Talk" where subscribers get 1000 minutes in 1000 |
| plans. | | | | text messages for a very low monthly price, but |
| I have titled this article; "Cell Phones and the | | | | you can only get that contract at Wal-Mart, and |
| Companies They Keep," because the harsh reality | | | | therefore you must abide the phone also at that |
| is that corporate America relies on the consumer | | | | same retail location. |
| to provide them with the shareholders equity and | | | | This could preclude companies that want to keep |
| quarterly profits they need to sustain their | | | | their high-end smart phones away from the |
| operations. After the big telecom crash we | | | | low-cost leader. However, believe it or not, not |
| watched all the major telephone companies | | | | everyone has a cellular phone and Wal-Mart is |
| lay-off hundreds of thousands of people in total. | | | | looking to pick up new cell phone buyers, as well |
| After 9/11 we watched communication companies | | | | as other consumers who might like to cut costs. |
| such as Motorola, Nokia, and even a few | | | | As the consumer comes back to the market |
| companies that are no longer in business now | | | | place to buy more personal tech devices these |
| shed their workforce, causing huge amounts of | | | | companies all stand to make a lot of money - |
| layoffs. Then, we forgot all about it when the | | | | that is if they can stay ahead of the competition, |
| economy started soaring again and President Bush | | | | and it's getting quite competitive. |
| had unemployment at 4.5% a record in the United | | | | Companies like Nokia hope to book profits in the |
| States of America, and a couple of points lower | | | | neighborhood of $1.8 billion dollars in 2010. In 2009 |
| and it might've been a record amongst all the | | | | Nokia made a profit of $1.23 billion as per the New |
| major industrialized countries of the world (of all | | | | York Times article, while companies like Apple, |
| time). | | | | which are fairly new market entrants have |
| Now fast forward to 2010, and all we talk about | | | | captured the imagination of personal tech first |
| is jobs, even our politicians promise us that "job | | | | adopters and they are breaking speed records |
| creation" is their number one concern. Still, it isn't | | | | during this downturn in the economy. Still |
| the government that provides jobs, it is the | | | | companies like Nokia are counting on new |
| private sector. But the most that the government | | | | features such as GPS navigation in real time, with |
| can do is help provide tax incentives, support, | | | | "turn by turn" features in hopes to wow future |
| reduce regulations, and help streamline things so | | | | users. |
| industry can pick up where it left off. | | | | Meanwhile, companies like Intel are looking to the |
| So let's talk about some of these private free | | | | new market entrants so that they can sell them |
| enterprise companies which rely on the | | | | cell phone chips, and companies like AT&T, |
| smartphone and cell phone consumer markets. | | | | Verizon, and Sprint are massively spending on 3G |
| These companies also provide mobile | | | | and 4G wireless infrastructure. So, while you are |
| communication devices for small business, medium | | | | choosing your cellular phone, these companies are |
| business, corporate solutions, military applications, | | | | looking to bring you over to their side, and |
| and government usage. I'm talking about | | | | collecting your money to promote their bottom |
| companies like Intel and AMD that make smart | | | | line. It appears this is a great time to be in the cell |
| phone chips, along with the manufacturers of the | | | | phone business, and a great time for consumers |
| cell phones, which also may or may not make | | | | to do a little extra shopping. |
| chips for every single device they sell such as | | | | It therefore makes sense for you to not be so |
| Nokia, RIM, and Motorola - as well as companies | | | | hasty in your decisions, and look closely at your |
| like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, which provide the | | | | smart phone plans, to pick one that's going to |
| cell phone services and cell plans. | | | | work for you over the long-haul. Therefore, it |
| But we can't stop there because Apple with their | | | | makes sense to decide which cellular phone you |
| new iPhone and Google with all their new tricky | | | | want, and then go find a company that offers |
| little devices are also becoming very big players. A | | | | you the best plan. Indeed, I hope you'll please |
| recent article on January 29, 2010 in the New | | | | consider this. |