Verizon open network gets first, unsexy device

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In this undated photo provided by SupplyNet Communications, wireless modems used in monitoring supply levels of chemicals used at a plant near Charlotte, N.C. are shown. The battery-powered modems connect to a sensors that dip into large storage containers inside the plant. When a tank runs low, the modem zips off a text message to SupplyNet, which alerts the customer that it needs a refill. The modem is the first device to be certified under Verizon's Open Development Initiative, the companies confirmed Thursday, July 10, 2008. (AP Photo/SupplyNet Communications)

(AP) -- When Verizon Wireless announced in November that it would open up its network to any company that wanted to make a device for it, industry watchers had visions of innovative features like cheap international calls and Google applications.

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3.6/5 after 7 votes

• earls - Jul 11, 2008
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  In the wake of my bitter comments (See PS3 console) towards companies unwilling or unable to recognize the tech. paradigm shift of "openness" I applaud and respect Verizon for their decision to allow such innovation, even if it is deemed "unsexy" or "unexciting" compared to would be other gadgets.
  
  Personally, I'm shocked that they decided to participate in any sort of "open development" at all considering their overly restrictive practices in the past. As a customer, I'm still not completely engrossed with them, but there's hope for them yet.
  
  Very nice.
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• Glis - Jul 11, 2008
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  ...This coming from the same company that cripples perfectly capable hardware for use on its network... I'm wagering this is a measure to sway someone from buying/using the newly auctioned part of the spectrum.
  
  Looking forward to android though!
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• CWFlink - Jul 11, 2008
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  I've long been an advocate of Open Systems, dating back to the days of UNIX when I would have preferred the FCC require AT&T to divest itself of the operating system as part of the split-up of "Mother Bell". But after watching nearly 30 years of "open system" development, I am very disappointed. There are pockets of success, but they are never the revolutionary innovations (in software or hardware) that we expected so may years ago. It seems that engineers and scientists are people too (:-) and suffer (sometimes even more so) from envy, pride and just plain ornery stubbornness... and refuse to see the other side of the coin in many, many technical debates, leading to very slow acceptance of (often flawed) technical standards, resulting in slow progress. So many technology "waves" have passed us by; the semi-closed providers to take our ideas and get them to market faster by avoiding standardization.
  
  The real "standardization" falls to the level of one vendor dominating a given field and thus forcing the issue: e.g. Intel and the PC's Instruction set; Microsoft and the Windows system, browsers, etc.
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