Comments on: Verizon Adding Push To Talk BlackBerry Service? http://www.berryreview.com/2010/03/15/verizon-adding-push-to-talk-blackberry-service/ BlackBerry News and Reviews You Can Use Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:51:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Cadillac Cowboy http://www.berryreview.com/2010/03/15/verizon-adding-push-to-talk-blackberry-service/#comment-48557 Cadillac Cowboy Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:19:43 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2010/03/15/verizon-adding-push-to-talk-blackberry-service/#comment-48557 Most of the Australian service providers tried Push-to-Talk YEARS ago and all but Telstra (our biggest service provider) have abandoned it, though even Telstra don't really push it anymore (no pun intended)... The idea has merit, but it's often expensive, poorly marketed and has virtually no hardware support, meaning the technology is destined to fail regardless. Most of the Australian service providers tried Push-to-Talk YEARS ago and all but Telstra (our biggest service provider) have abandoned it, though even Telstra don’t really push it anymore (no pun intended)…

The idea has merit, but it’s often expensive, poorly marketed and has virtually no hardware support, meaning the technology is destined to fail regardless.

]]> By: DavidB http://www.berryreview.com/2010/03/15/verizon-adding-push-to-talk-blackberry-service/#comment-48484 DavidB Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:29:27 +0000 http://www.berryreview.com/2010/03/15/verizon-adding-push-to-talk-blackberry-service/#comment-48484 I know a couple folks who have used Verizon's PTT for a couple years now. They like it, but the dearth of phones available has held it back significantly. Go to the Verizon site and look at the craptastic lineup of phones supporting PTT and you'll see why nobody uses it! I had a Nextel for years since I'm in public safety. EVERYBODY in public safety uses a Nextel, or at least did until it too suffered from a completely craptastic lineup of devices. I mean seriously, the rest of world had moved on to 8xxx and I believe even 9xxx BlackBerry and Nextel was still stuck with the 7100i until the 8350i FINALLY launched. That 8350i is actually a really nice device! Nextel succeeded not so much because minutes were included or anything, but for industries like contractors and service and construction the immediacy of "walkie talkie" became and essential "must have" business tool. Unlimited PTT use was great for businesses on a budget, but it was the immediacy (IMHO) that drove adoption. Being able to "chirp" someone to assess their ability to talk was so much faster and easier than placing a phone call and waiting for them or voice mail to pickup and faster too than sending an SMS and waiting for reply. Rumor has it the PTT will be available on 9630 with the OS 5.0 release, and at a cost of $5/month extra. If it's that cost and available additionally on the 9550, I'd sign up the wife and I for sure. And since my public safety agency switched a couple years ago from 7100i's to verious Verizon BB's and we lost our PTT capability, I have no doubt we'd add it back to our 20+ BB's as I suspect would practically ALL public safety Verizon customers. I know a couple folks who have used Verizon’s PTT for a couple years now. They like it, but the dearth of phones available has held it back significantly. Go to the Verizon site and look at the craptastic lineup of phones supporting PTT and you’ll see why nobody uses it!

I had a Nextel for years since I’m in public safety. EVERYBODY in public safety uses a Nextel, or at least did until it too suffered from a completely craptastic lineup of devices. I mean seriously, the rest of world had moved on to 8xxx and I believe even 9xxx BlackBerry and Nextel was still stuck with the 7100i until the 8350i FINALLY launched. That 8350i is actually a really nice device!

Nextel succeeded not so much because minutes were included or anything, but for industries like contractors and service and construction the immediacy of “walkie talkie” became and essential “must have” business tool. Unlimited PTT use was great for businesses on a budget, but it was the immediacy (IMHO) that drove adoption. Being able to “chirp” someone to assess their ability to talk was so much faster and easier than placing a phone call and waiting for them or voice mail to pickup and faster too than sending an SMS and waiting for reply.

Rumor has it the PTT will be available on 9630 with the OS 5.0 release, and at a cost of $5/month extra. If it’s that cost and available additionally on the 9550, I’d sign up the wife and I for sure. And since my public safety agency switched a couple years ago from 7100i’s to verious Verizon BB’s and we lost our PTT capability, I have no doubt we’d add it back to our 20+ BB’s as I suspect would practically ALL public safety Verizon customers.

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