AT&T OneRing
Corporate View

Longterm Wins

Gains

Cultural Capital
We can take a central role in defining the new mindset in communications. If we succeed, the company will retain its historic postion in the industry.

Killer Content
We have better content than Sony Pictures or Disney. We have the best content in the world. Love letters and job offers and phone calls from Mom. All real.

Stickiness
Like any system in which personal records are deeply entangled. it is difficult to leave the OneRing services after a few months of use

Eyeballs
Typical users will be have OneRing visible for far longer than any portal, the browser, or even the computer itself, since OneRing is aimed at ubiquity.

Self Propagation
Since OneRing offers some enhanced services when both parties of a call are using it, there will be some build-out of Personal Networks.

 

Defense
Arguably, the company sets the "defacto standard" in communications will emerge as the leader of the industry in the next century. That position is up for grabs. If AT&T does not hold that position, surely another company will. What will AT&T be in the next century if it is no longer the leading company in communications?

Microsoft
It seems likely that the Microsoft of Communications might be.. Microsoft.

RBOCs, Next-Gen Telcos, Cable Companies, 3Com, Qualcomm, etc..
I don't know.. this is surely beyond my expertise!!