Mambo Italiano: iPhone for Italy looking likely
Euro-iPhone purchasers note: there's something in the wind that says a 3G, revenue-sharing-absent and exclusivity-free iPhone may be on the way shortly for Italian (or iTalian) buyers. An article at La Repubblica indicates that the iPhone's arrival in Rome may be accompanied by a new sales model: no revenue kickback from subscriptions for Apple, but a higher selling price on the phone, and a very limited or nonexistent exclusivity period for the telecom partner (Telecom Italia at launch during summer 2008, with other carriers onboard probably by the holiday season).Sadly, my Italian is basically as nonexistent as the exclusivity for the iTPhone, so I'm depending on the machine translation here. If any of our readers can distill and inform based on the original, please do!
[via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DJ said 1:21PM on 4-21-2008
The cellular one from endured in the new Umts version. Not there will be ' revenue sharing' and neanche the exclusive right: advantage at least six months for the group of Bernabè the iPhone arrives in Italy Telecom has already signed Jobs has been convinced to change the strategy that have carried to happened of the telephone the Nothing come to an agreement in exclusive right and nothing percentage on the traffic generated from every customers of STEFANO CARLI Steve Jobs with the iPhone. Apple has sold in world 4 million telefonini For the company has arrived Frank Benabè directly: a lot in those days was already in the USA for the road show of presentation of its ' nuovà Telecom Italy. 31 March was to New York, endured after is flown towards the West Coast. Official destination, Los Angeles with fastest passage to Cupertino, quartier general of the Apple. Of other part on this Steve Jobs it has been compulsory: the agreements siglano in center and to the maximum levels. But fast what has been one, because all it was already ready to suggellare the agreement that will carry the iPhone in Italy between some week. An agreement fruit of the job carried ahead from months from Luca Luciani, the number one of Tim: that also inciampato in ' paperà of Waterloo, but can however fregiarsi of the merit of successful being to convince Steve Jobs to change strategy. The agreement is revolutionary because it marks one carried out as well as important how much unexpected one in the strategies of the group of the Apple. And just for this it is remained up to now place setting, to the point that still now is indiscretions and voices those that trapelano. Revolutionary because just with Telecom Italy, and in order to enter in the Italian market, Jobs he would abandon the formula on which has up to now constructed the happened one of its super-telephone: the agreements in exclusive right, with a single operator in every market, and the mechanism of ' revenue sharing', based on which Jobs embeds a percentage, and also much salata, inasmuch as it is 30%, on the traffic generated from every customers iPhone. To great the following themselves lines the agreement incardina in points. 1) On the Italian market old iPhone 2G but the new ones will not arrive directly, of third generation: of iPhone the Umts that they will take advantage of R-al.meglio the strong development of the nets you furnish Italians to wide band. 2) the agreement with Telecom Italy will not be based on ' revenue sharing': nothing more percentages on the traffic but a higher selling price. And not little. 3) Finally, not an agreement of exclusive right with Telecom Italy, but an advantage of some months come to an agreement to the group of Bernabè Franc. An advantage that is already in the facts: the Telecom system is already in short ready to receive in its net, technological and of sale, the iPhone. According to operator, leaving an hour, once made official that the iPhone Italian they will not be exclusive of Tim, it has however need of time, Going outside from the generic one: Vodafone or H3g, probably the first operating ones to benefit of the exclusive right lack, will have to run if they will want to make in time to carry their eventual ones iPhone on the market for the campaign of the next NATO them. For summer 2008 there will be however single Tim. On first strange agreement seems one. Telecom Italy earns us much: door to house the iPhone in order before and paying itself much less of the others before she. But because Jobs would have accepted all this? The ability to iPhone making market is undeniable. Impressive numbers circulate. As an example, from the USA, the first market in which Jobs its cellular one has launch approximately a year makes, turns out that At&t has sold 3milioni already of finishes them, a million the which solos in the last trimester. But still more impressive is the data second which little less of the half than these 3 million iPhone At&t in circulation have been activated from new customers, customers who have left their previous operator in order to pass to At&t just for having a iPhone. Which reasons have then pushed Jobs to abandon the old strategy of ' revenue sharing'? The explanation is in the fact that this formula cannot still resist to along. The market is changing. World-wide the mobile telephony is muovendo quickly towards Internet. It wants to say that the rich part of the business of the telefonini will not be more the voice, that it will have more and more low costs, but the traffic given. And also here, not as well as a product ' basicò like the simple flow of bit, but services are left over to you to payment. The system of the revenues of the mobile telephony between some year will be divided in three parts. From a part of the fixed costs salaries for voice and simple logon. They are moneies that go directly to the operating ones for the single fact to give approached the own net to a customer, and is a quota that stretches to come down ulteriorly. Then there are the moneies that the customers will pay for having services premium. Typical example: music. Musical rows to payment will be unloaded. But they will be bought also news, new video, services like all the possible types of controls at a distance cellular way and therefore via. And this slice of revenues will go to the owners of the services. Finally third part tied to the search engines will be one, to the social networking, the maps and the information type yellow pages. And these will be free for the customers but they will produce revenues from advertising insertions. And on this last tipologia of services that is competition opened between the telecom, the suppliers of the services and who will be in a position to organizing and managing all this traffic, that is subject like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Nokia and Ericsson in how many holders of net intelligences. In extreme synthesis: the business generated from the mobile telephony he will grow, but it will be less and less a business to invoice in bill, that is where Jobs goes hour to reach revenues through ' revenue sharing'. Jobs therefore has begun to understand that the parabola of the iPhone is reached its apex, in how much product. Also because the assured competitive advantage from the technology ' touch screen', from the fact to have a efficient part ' computer' deriving from the kwow how historical of Apple is in order to be caught up from the contenders. Samsung and Htc have already launch the first smartphone gestibili ones without keyboard and touching the screen directly. And if also the first models are not of all to the height of Apple, there is from betting that within or two versions they will have overwhelmed the gap. And perhaps also they will have gone beyond. And however the next autumn comes down in field the Nokia battleship that will launch its first one ' touch screen' in time for the campaign of NATO them 2008. Therefore, Steve Jobs has between the hands a beautiful succeeding product of. But like avoiding to make the end of Motorola, than it has not succeeded to come unhooked itself for time from the planetary happened one of its Razr, still the single model of telephones more sold the world, and that for this it is last in twelve months from stars to the failure or nearly? It must change. But like? The iPhone it is not telephone to wide band. It goes still well for markets in which the mobile wide band it is not still a lot developed. Like the United States. And, in Europe, practically all except Italy. The quota Umts customers on the total of the greater operator in every European market is clear: they are 20% in France, 18% in Great Britain, solo 15% in Spain. But 44% in Italy: nearly one on two. In markets still little it develops you from this point of view the iPhone has above all carried in dowry to operating a fort increase of navigation. More remarkable what as well as in markets still many legacies to the traffic voice, like those USA. Its facility of use, is in order to be annoying, is in order to acquire produced valuable like music and video thanks to the synergy with iTunes, of it has made one splendid instrument in order to begin the customers to the mobile Internet. But with the passage to the world 3G the things are complicated. And the competition increases. Jobs has been found to dealing with Telecom Italy and for before the time it has not been able to make to be worth this asset, the given ability to the iPhone to generate valuable traffic: Tim, without the iPhone, has already recorded one increase of navigation on the cellular ones of 90%. Insomma, the competitive advantage of the Italian market on the mobile world still works. In Jobs compensation one is found again between the hands up to now underrated instrument: a browser. The heart of the iPhone is the software that ago to be annoying in Internet and calls Safari. From the USA an nth strabiliante number arrives: 70% of the accesses to the net through the nets furnitures happen from part of smartphone with browser the Safari (this the serveur know it to recognize), that is from the iPhone. And the browser they are the true new frontier of this market. To case it is not here that the same Google is working, with Android. For Jobs without warning the new objective has been made clearly that primary to which heading is not to sell little iPhone al greater price possible (between sale and percentages sul traffic) but to diffuse the most possible its Safari. Incidently selling also much more it finishes them, thanks to the renunciation to the exclusive rights, And Telecom Italy has been found to the just place in the better moment.
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Infinity said 1:27PM on 4-21-2008
Hi! I'm italian...Your translator works well!!! This is the perfect solution for italian market. I'm waiting for iTPhone!
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Tom said 1:50PM on 4-21-2008
A few weeks? Easily able to fit into a June 10th timeframe.
Italian mac rumors :)
Got a few thoughts on it at macrumors.com
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Agos said 2:10PM on 4-21-2008
Please note that La Repubblica, while being one of Italy's biggest and most respected newspapers, has a bad reputation regarding tech news, in particular for apple-related rumors. No major newspaper has, of now, confirmed that the deal has been closed, only La Stampa (from Turin) reports a cold "no comment" from both parts regarding La Repubblica's article. Still, if it was true, it would be super-special-awesome ;)
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Mark said 2:16PM on 4-21-2008
I'm actually going on vacation to Rome for the last 2 weeks of May. Maybe I'll be able to get my hands on one and bring it back to Canada, eh?
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Gwydion said 2:26PM on 4-21-2008
Why associate mambo with Italy?
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Matteo said 4:17AM on 4-22-2008
... because of a famous song :)
Zack said 2:34PM on 4-21-2008
Uhm, I'm really doubtful about this news. Why Italy is so special?
By the way, I am italian..
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Joke said 3:30PM on 4-21-2008
I've correct some mistakes on Google Translation.
Part #1
The phone will be in the new UMTS version. There won't be There won't be 'revenue sharing' nor exclusive: only an advantage of at least six months for TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile).
The iPhone arrives in Italy
Telecom ha già firmato Telecom has already signed
Jobs was convinced to change the strategy that led to the success of the phone.
No exclusive agreements and nothing percentage of traffic generated by each user.
The signing came directly Franco Benabè (Telecom Italia CEO): in those days he already was in the USA for the road show presentation of his "new Telecom Italy". On 31 March he was in New York, shortly after flew to the West Coast. Official Destination: Los Angeles with rapid shift to Cupertino, headquarters of Apple. Steve Jobs was imperative: the agreements must be signed at the highest levels and in Cupertino. But it was a quick trade, because everything was ready to seal the agreement that will bring the iPhone in Italy in a few weeks.
An agreement made possible by the work carried out for months by Luca Luciani, the number one Tim (mobile division of Telecom Italia): knowkn for his "Waterloo spectacle", he can earns the merit of being able to persuade Steve Jobs to change strategy.
The agreement is revolutionary because it marks a turning point, as important as sudden, on the strategies of the "Gruppo della Mela" (Apple company). It is precisely for this has been covered so far, to the point that even now are indiscretions and rumors that came out.
It's revolutionary because only Telecom Italy, entering in the Italian market, Jobs would change the formula which has built the success of its super-phone so far: exclusive agreements with a single operator in each market, and the mechanism of 'revenue sharing ', under which Jobs collects a percentage, and sometimes very expensive - 30% -on the traffic generated by each iPhone user.
Broadly speaking the agreement consists on the following points.
1) The Italian market will not stare the 2G iPhone 2G but only the new, third generation of Umts iPhone that best exploit the strong development of broadband mobile Italian.
2) The agreement with Telecom Italy will be not based on 'revenue sharing': no more traffic percentages but an higher selling price. And not less higher.
3) Finally, an not-exclusive agreement with Telecom Italy, but an advantage of several months given to the group by Franco Bernabè. One advantage that is already in practice: the Telecom system is already essentially ready to accept the iPhone in its network, technological and sales. A follower operator, starting now, when the iPhone will officially not be a Tim exclusive, will still need time. Going out of the generic: Vodafone or H3g probably the first operators to benefit from the lack of exclusivity, should run in order to bring the iPhone before next Christmas. By the summer of 2008 there will be only Tim.
At first it seems an odd agreement. Telecom Italy earns a lot: brings home the first iPhone and paying much less than her predecessors. Why Jobs would accept all this?
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frogbat said 3:32PM on 4-21-2008
i hope this is true - the exclusive shared revenue model might work in the us but for many markets the contractless pay as you go models are more popular for the general consumer
many people in non iphone countries pay extra to get it unlocked so apple can have good sales at a higher price point... though they really don't seem to get the international markets as well as they do the us
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jasperc said 3:49PM on 4-21-2008
For those of you wondering, "why Italy?:" Italy has the largest penetration of mobile phones in all of Europe (this is a fact). They're also the most trendy & fashionable of Europe (pure speculation on my part, but I've lived there for quite a while & find it to be true ;)
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Gwydion said 12:14AM on 4-22-2008
I think Apple was still thinking on USA market but Italy and Spain are the two countries in Europe with more mobile penetration and who spends more in terminals
lucac81 said 4:00PM on 4-21-2008
It's only a rumor, but still on the iPhone there are already Tim (telecom italia mobile) customized profiles from 1.1.2
I don't think this will sell well here unless we'll get an exclusive 3G model, because without the revenue share model the phone will cost more (ok there are people here that pay 500€ for an N95) and at this time people who wanted the iphone so badly already got it at a convenient (since the favorable $->€ conversion) or an insane (through ebay or "honest" sellers) price
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mrsteveman1 said 4:28PM on 4-21-2008
so this is why the pope was in the U.S, he wants an iPhone
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Lorenzo Cinotti said 4:50PM on 4-21-2008
Italy has 42% of users who already are using 3g phones and all the italian providers nixed Apple proposal. Gprs phone and also the revenue scared them.
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mare said 10:08PM on 4-21-2008
Mambo Italiano is a nice Candian movie, BTW
Okay, and a song.
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Ed said 2:36AM on 4-22-2008
Why does TUAW need to add some kind of "local flavour" to every post about a country other than America? If it's not Sadun trying to write in German, it's pointless titles like this one.
Quit the stereotyping and just stick to the facts.
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larry Friedman said 1:30PM on 4-23-2008
Mambo Italiano is not stereotyping the Italians. If anything, its stereotyping the song.
Relax a little, you'll live a longer, happier life.
Ciao
riccardo said 3:42AM on 4-26-2008
About the supposed 44% of UMTS phones in italy: these are mainly sending sms, i have never seen someone use a videocall, and internet traffic is too expensive to not have an all-inclusive contract. so the only money apple will make , igf this news is anything near to truth, is by selling the device itself, which will then be jailbroken and used with the byuers old operator. Telecom italia has made, in the past any kind of move to increasse theyr customers share
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