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Verizon Sues Nextel For Espionage 119

Posted by CmdrTaco from the no-fair-peaking dept.
jonknee writes "Verizon is going after Nextel for a little corporate espionage. Verizon says that Nextel got its hands on some internal prototypes of models aimed to compete with Nextel's Direct Connect technology. Verizon's service is slotted to start up anytime, and a few other carriers are expected to launch similar services."
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Verizon Sues Nextel For Espionage More

Verizon Sues Nextel For Espionage

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  • Who did it? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Martigan80 ( 305400 )
    "...claims Nextel obtained prototypes..."

    How did they get them? Was it an upset employee, did they put some one in the work force to steal the prototypes?

    So could Nextel be sued for receiving stolen property?
    • Nah it's simple, the prototypes arrived in the Nextel offices by osmosis.

      There was a low concontration of prototypes in the Nextel office, and a high concontration elsewhere..

    • Re:Who did it? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by bwalling ( 195998 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:15AM (#6325160) Homepage
      How did they get them? Was it an upset employee, did they put some one in the work force to steal the prototypes?

      So could Nextel be sued for receiving stolen property?

      I believe this product is near its release date, which means that it is probably out in the hands of reps and has been shown to customers. That means that there are a number of the prototypes in a reasonably large number of hands. I'm sure that these phones are demonstrated to customers under NDA. I find it simple to believe that over the course of a number of demonstrations, a few phones can go missing.

      Now, if Nextel is aware that this is not a released product, and aware that these are not under any sort of public testing, then they can be found guilty of knowingly possessing stolen property.

  • Who? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Tweakmeister ( 638831 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @10:50AM (#6325044) Homepage
    This topic isn't talked much about, but I wonder (statistically) who would be calling the shots on doing operations like these. The higher ups? The board?

  • But how (Score:4, Insightful)

    by jeffkjo1 ( 663413 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @10:53AM (#6325052) Homepage
    The article has no details on one point, how did Nextel "improperly obtain" the prototypes. Something tells me that they didn't just walk into Verizon's corporate headquarters and ask, and I doubt they pulled off a Mission Impossible stunt.... so likely, someone inside of Verizon had a small grudge and had already tried calling the BSA.

    In which case.... Verizon could probably argue that.... ummm, the phones fell off the back of a truck.

  • Now this would make sense.. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by LloydSeve ( 672423 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @10:53AM (#6325056)
    What I don't understand is.. that Verizon,
    Sprint PCS and AT&T Wireless are ALL coming out
    with versions of Direct Connect for their phones..
    all modeled after Nextel's with a few
    hundred mile range..

    And Nextel is releasing their new Nationwide
    version which will allow people to direct connect
    with anyone across the entire United States..
    so what reason does Nextel have to worry and
    spy on Verizon? And why VERIZON of all people?
    AT&T is the one with the GLOBAL impact,
    not Verizon.

    I think this is just a way to impose negative
    thoughts onto Nextel so that Verizon will have a
    chance of selling their phones with DirectConnect
    technology.

    But maybe I am wrong, and Nextel got dumb.
    • And why VERIZON of all people?

      They're working on a way to shut that annoying "can you hear me now" guy up.
    • Talking to Verizon folks, they seem to think that in 5-10 years, it will just be them and AT&T left. They are fairly aggressive at expanding markets... especially since they have a lot of cash around.
      • In the US cellular market there are 6 or so reasonably large carriers (VZ, Cingular, AT&T, PCS, TMobile, Nextel and AllTel is still pretty regional but just about big enough to be a big player). Verizon and Cingular are the biggest (by subscribers) but Cingular is struggling to hold on to subs, while Verizon adds them at least in proportion to their total share (roughly 30% of both total and new subs). AT&T Nextel and T Mobile all adding subscribers at a higher rate than they have total subs, (TMo
      • My neighbor just moved in, we have Verizon, and
        when she called up for service she told them she
        doesn't want Verizon cuz it's to expensive, the
        lady on the phone told her not to worry because
        Verizon wasn't gonna be in this area for much longer
        cuz of a buyout.

    • Re:Now this would make sense.. (Score:5, Informative)

      by nvrrobx ( 71970 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @02:38PM (#6326177) Homepage
      Ahh, but Verizon DOES have a global impact!

      Ever hear of Vodafone?

      To quote Verizon's "About Us" page:

      Vodafone is the world's largest mobile operator with over 112.5m proportionate customers worldwide and equity interests in 28 countries and Partner Networks in a further 7 countries.
    • Verizon Wireless is the largest provider of wireless services in the US. Nextel doesn't want to lose any more customers to them.
    • Verizon, Sprint PCS and AT&T Wireless are ALL coming out with versions of Direct Connect for their phones.. all modeled after Nextel's with a few hundred mile range..

      modelled after Nextel's direct connect service? Nextel's DC is almost instantaneous... Sprint/Verizon's prototypes have a delay of upto 10 seconds.

    • I think it's exactly what you said... [i]I think this is just a way to impose negative thoughts onto Nextel so that Verizon will have a chance of selling their phones with DirectConnect technology.[/i] Verizon wants to make Nextel look bad. And they're going to do whatever it takes to do it. They're a bunch of babbies in my eyes.

  • The Marketing Militia (Score:3, Interesting)

    by sfled ( 231432 ) <sfled.yahoo@com> on Sunday June 29, 2003 @10:53AM (#6325058) Journal
    The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Virginia, claims Nextel obtained prototypes of Verizon cell phones to "obtain valuable, confidential, and proprietary business information," then share any negative news with industry analysts, according to an account of the suit in The Wall Street Journal.

    Either Verizon has a gung-ho marketing department or they're taking a page from the creeps at RIAA [com.com] (http://news.com.com/2100-1023-981449.html). Either way, now we ALL know that Verizon's coming out with a walkie-talkie.

  • Can you hear me now? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by blcamp ( 211756 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @10:55AM (#6325063) Homepage
    What is Verizon whining about this time... other than the fact that Nextel's Direct Connect has been out for... how long? ELEVEN YEARS?

    They are suing Nextel because *they* (Verizon) are a tad bit slow in coming to market?

    I don't want to hear them now... or anytime.
    • Such bullshit. Nextel had it patented for 10 years and it was the only thing that kept them afloat considering their coverage sucks so much.

      Now that Verizon is polishing up its own PTT (push-to-talk) version for their network, Nextel is getting scared. Thus, they tried to sneak a peek at how Verizon's network was doing it while they were still developing it.

      Nextel was caught with Verizon prototype phones making hundreds (iirc) of PTT connections on Verizon's network.

      I think Nextel is going to be the big

  • Verizon Service + Number Portability = Competition (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Richardsonke1 ( 612224 ) * on Sunday June 29, 2003 @10:57AM (#6325077)
    This looks like it will become a very good service, especially since number portability starts up in a couple months or so. So, everyone on the Nextel network can switch over to verizon, if they have a better/cheaper service. The downside of DirectConnect, though, is that when you have someone trying to explain something to you over the phone, you have to wait until they get done talking, which could take minutes. I've seen people yell at their phone in agrivation of the person not shutting up (even thought the person on the other side could not hear).

    • Re:Verizon Service + Number Portability = Competit (Score:4, Informative)

      by Genjurosan ( 601032 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:14AM (#6325150)
      Sure they could switch over, but they would all have to get NEW phones. IDEN is unique to Nextel phones. I pay a pretty high $70 a month for my nextel phone, but I had 3000+ incoming minutes last month during PEAK usage hours and didn't pay a dime extra. Reason: I have a free-incoming plan with Nextel.
    • I agree about the one-way Direct Connect problem. Although, if you think about it, a two-way version is also known as a phone (and Nextel's with DC can function as speakerphones with the built in speaker). I still think it would be a nice capability to build in full-duplex into DC functionality as well.

      There is one way around the waiting for someone to stop talking that I have found. At least on my I-80, whenever someone is talking to you over Direct Connect, the "Exit" option is still active on screen. If you press that, it forces a disconnect (and gives an annoying beep on the other end, analogous to the "person busy" error.) Then you can talk to them, or do whatever.
    • As far as people yelling at their phones in aggravation of the person not shutting up-- I've found simply switching 'modes' on my Motorola i1000+ w/Nextel works great to interrupt if desired...

      DUH! C'mon, wake-up people.. ;-)

  • who needs direct connect? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by playagame ( 652532 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:03AM (#6325105)
    i think direct connect is pointless and stupid. calls are getting so cheap and minutes so plentiful that you might as well talk on direct connect. it's not like the police cannot tap the phone on direct connect or anything... :sigh:

    • Re:who needs direct connect? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Genjurosan ( 601032 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:11AM (#6325139)
      Direct Connect is great! Fast to get the person you want, it uses a queuing system to get the persons attention, you have the option of simply starting to talk (much like the god scenario in weird science), and the best thing... No one can interrupt you while you are talking to them! HA! Unfortunately, it's works both ways.

    • Re:who needs direct connect? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by phillymjs ( 234426 ) <slashdot.stango@org> on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:15AM (#6325157) Homepage Journal
      i think direct connect is pointless and stupid.

      Are you crazy? I work for a consulting firm, and the Nextel phones changed our business when we got them because we were able to communicate much more easily with each other when in the field than we were with ordinary cellphones.

      Having what is basically an unlimited-range walkie talkie is great.

      ~Philly
      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • The quality is fine when you do DC, and there is the option of using it privately, with the "obnoxiously loud" speaker turned off. My phone always has that speaker off except when I'm in the car.

          DC is significantly faster than placing a regular cellphone call. When you're talking back and forth with other co-workers in the field all day long, that time adds up pretty quickly.

          How is a regular mobile phone *not* an "unlimited-range walkie talkie"?

          The DC feature facilitates *instantaneous* communication,
    • calls are getting so cheap and minutes so plentiful

      Wow.. well in a corporation who relies on
      communication, you can never have "enough"
      minutes. Direct Connect cuts down on minute
      usage by allowing no time to connect calls
      (which is included in your time of call),
      and the second or two after you are done
      talking to hit the end button.
      Because Yes, a second or two in a corporation
      (possibly ten to a hundred or hundreds of
      people using a cell account) per call
      would drive a bill up SKY HIGH.
    • I agree that for some purposes its a neat idea - BUT I for one find it very annoying to listen to someone's loud walkie-talkie conversation - in the mall, at airport, eating out - ugghhh. Please put your ear bud in and talk softly so the rest of us don't have to listen to your conversation about your colonoscopy.

    • First of all, direct connect is less intrusive on drving than a normal phone. At least in my expirence, people who talk on a Nextel phone while drving are distracted and don't pay as much attention. When they use direct connect it somehow uses a different area of the brain and they pay more attention to drving. (Not as much attention as no phone, but they are safer than a phone call)

      Direct connect has the advantage of not riniging. When you two-way someone you can talk instantly, not wait for someone

    • I need it. I love my DC. It is a encrypted, and really really really hard to tap. Why do you think so many drug dealers, and theatre technicians have them?
      • It's not hard to tap. The ability for law enforcement to get surveillance on direct connect calls has been part of the software for a while now - I helped (not completely willingly) add that into the the software. Law enforcement can either just get call information (who you talk to, and when you talk to them), or that information with full audio.

        There's nothing difficult about it.

        Of course, it was added due to the CALEA laws that forced us to add it.
        • pardon me for my ignorance on this, but what are the calea laws? I have not heard of these yet.
          • CALEA - C(something) Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.

            The law was passed, requiring cellular providers to add technology into their systems that would allow law enforcement to surveil cell phone users, and see who they are calling/are being called by, and optionally hear the audio for the call.

            It's been in the field for a while now.

  • Compare the outcome with RIAA "piracy" cases (Score:5, Interesting)

    by swb ( 14022 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:03AM (#6325106)
    It'll be interesting to compare the outcome of this with RIAA/MPAA inspired "piracy" cases.

    In the entertainment media world, ordinary people who engage in "piracy" have perhaps a hundred thousands dollars (at MSRP) worth of music which, even if widely distributed might account for maybe a couple of million dollars in lost gross retail revenue.

    In this situation we have executives of a major corporation who are potentially doing hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to their competitors; the scale of business damage exceeds the RIAA-type cases by at least a single order of magnitude and many more if like me you don't buy the inflated damage estimates of the media companies.

    So how many Nextel executives will face $500/month penalties for life? How many will face jail time or massive civil penalties of millions of dollars?

    My guess is zero, but I can't explain why -- if theft of IP eq damage, why won't the same rules that the recording industries want to apply to you and apply to corporate executives that engage in piracy (and perhaps other more nefarious crimes like breaking and entering, theft, purchase of stolen property)?

    Or is this just another double standard where the harsh end of the law applies to you and I, but if you're a corporate guy it doesn't?

  • Actually its Sprint PCS (Score:5, Informative)

    by dankinit ( 131249 ) * on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:07AM (#6325116) Journal
    Actually the article says Sprint PCS, not Verizon's push to talk service is expected to go live soon.

  • push to talk...ummm OK (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Zebbers ( 134389 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:11AM (#6325140)
    construction companies, trucking firms and others who once used walkie-talkie-like devices to instantly connect to others is thier market. Thats it. Granted its prolly a pretty big chunk of change but theres people acting like it's the next big thing and really its only a walkietalkie replacement.

    Still useful to the average consumer? Sure. Itd be like having a walkie talkie with you. Id love to have this service with my phone if I could just push2talk my friends while driving in a caravan or running around the mall or whatnot. I wouldnt pay much extra though.
    • You have to remember it is only comparable to a
      walkie talkie in the sense that it's not full
      duplex. Only one person talks at a time. Other
      then that, with Nextel's next upgrade,
      it is completely nationwide over their entire
      IP network, so it is nothing like a walkie talkie.
    • It's not just a walkie-talkie replacement. You can use them for phone service, web browsing, etc, etc. All in one device, which aside from anything else certainly makes the cancer-critics a little happier. (and me, since I would have to carry more stuff)

      By the way, another really heavy user of Nextel service is the government. In my agency, most of the people are field-based and roving, so Nextels are next to invaluable. Not to mention that quite a few people I know have Nextels for personal use, because t

  • Direct Connect (Score:4, Insightful)

    by harmonica ( 29841 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:13AM (#6325145)
    Isn't that already a trademark of NeoModus [neo-modus.com]?

    Or are file-sharing and telecommunication different enough to justify the same name?
  • Could someone please tell me why we need basically "walkie-talkie" service on a cell phone? I have a ton of minutes, why would i replace good quality full duplex with this service? Its like text messaging, in the U.S. we get so many minutes nowadays who cares about these other minute saving features anymore?
    • why? because someone always needs more minutes.
      PTT is just a way to make calling quicker and take
      up less time.

      Plus, if you can afford to only need 500 minutes
      using PTT, you don't need the 800 minute plan or
      whatever the next step up on your service is.
    • It's all about when you need short term communication. If you need to ask someone a quick question, it is a lot easier just to tap the PTT button and ask the question, get a quick answer, and be done with it.

      I've noticed from my time using it that it's a different type of "commitment" than a phone call. A phone call is like stopping to have a long conversation with someone. A private call (direct connect) is like popping your head in a cube just to ask a short question.

      It's a much more casual form of c
    • For the personal life and many forms of work, PTT does not make sense.

      But for the construction and IT support on a large campus (I work for a city, so my 'campus' is city wide), PTT is golden. Start working on a computer problem in one server room while another person is on a desktop 2 miles away: CHIRP: "okay, try setting the network to at XYZ setting." 3 mins later, CHIRP: "done, can U see the server now?", "Nope, try ABC at a slower speed", 4 minutes later, CHIRP: "Got acces, thanks, clear". Maybe a min
    • It's not for everyone. It's instantaneous..no dialing up. You can DC in groups.
    • I always enjoyed the fact that I could participate in conversations half-ass, responding when I had a free minute... Kinda like running my brain and train of thought in half duplex mode as well.
    • The average Joe may not find a great reason to have one (or he may), but in the fields or search and rescue, fire prevention, forestry, maintenence, etc, they are great to have.
    • One reason is that with Direct Connect, you can talk to a large group of people at once. You could have a group for all your "good friends", another group for the other people on your football team.
      I think with the newer phones you can create these group lists on the phone, so you could have a "friends in the mall" group.
      One touch of the "PTT" button and you're talking to them all.

      I've been using Direct Connect on my i1000+ for I think 5 years now, it's cheap, easy and flexible.

  • I HATE direct connect (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ywwg ( 20925 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:41AM (#6325270) Homepage
    I've noticed nextel's service has gotten much more popular recently, and not among the target audience of construction workers and business-types. Everywhere I go people are carrying around their phones like star trek communicators, using this feature.

    "Hey how you doing?" -- BEEDEEP!
    "Not bad" -- BEEDEEP!
    "Are you going to the mall later?" -- BEEDEEP!
    "Nah I don't think so" -- BEEDEEP!

    As if cell phones weren't bad enough for making people talk very loudly into their phones, nextel has somehow managed to make cell phones more rude by subjecting everyone to both sides of the converstation and adding a loud beeping after every communication!

    This feature should die, quickly. It's an ok idea for construction workers, but it just adds to the noise of life for everyone else.

    • Thats a feature (Score:4, Interesting)

      by bluGill ( 862 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @12:06PM (#6325404)

      I agree, the beeps are annoying in a resteraunt. However two-way is intended to be more public. When the foreman asks the boss a question, all the underlings are likely to need the answer, by using two-way we know how the boss wants it done. (and can tell the foreman he is wrong when he starts doing it wrong)

    • FWIW...

      I've had a nextel for a long while now, and I can tell you 2 things about what you're seeing:
      1) This is not the only way that direct connect works - you can turn off the speaker and just use direct connect as if you were using a regular phone
      2) The people who do keep the speaker on all the time ( in resturants, movies, etc ) are doing it for 1 reason - status. They think they're ultra-hip and cool cause they have it on.

      Me, I keep my i90 on vibrate. If someone DC's me and I'm in public, it just vi
    • OK. Before I got a cell phone, I too used to be pissed off at people talking on them in public places. Now, I'm not so pissed. Because I realized that my phone voice was no louder than my usual conversation voice. And while sure, there are a lot of people who feel the need to call their friends at odd times -- in the middle of concerts, for example, or at the post office --these are the same people who ten years ago would queue up at the payphone and have long, loving conversations while coating their c
      • The fact is that there are times when you should and should not be using your cell phone out of politeness for the people around you.

        In a movie theatre (during the movie) is one just place. In a quiet restuarant is another. That's why the phones in such establishments are moved out of normal hearing range of people enjoying a meal. Your talking is disturbing the others around you. That's why the ushers will tend to take incessant chatters out of a theatre. Personally, I think they should crush the cel

  • What exactly (legally) is being alledged here (Score:3, Informative)

    by hillct ( 230132 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @11:42AM (#6325274) Homepage Journal
    Verizon wilreless uses standard cell hardware available for license by many service providers in the U.S. and internationally, so exactly what is being alledged here? Is it that Nextel entered into a contract with the same hardware manufacturer that Verizon was going to use in providing a competing service, or is it that Nextel aquired hardware from such a manufacturer when that hardware was exclusively developed for/licensed to Verizon. The article is vary sketchy about this rather important detail.

    --CTH
  • Once Verizon's PTT goes through, I can finally give the phone to someone, have them stick it in their pants, And laugh as they wonder who's yelling "The talking pants..."

  • Can you here me NOW? (Score:3, Funny)

    by James Littiebrant ( 622596 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @01:32PM (#6325841)
    I knew that there was something wrong about that guy!

  • I met someone who did this. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by abucior ( 306728 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @01:42PM (#6325902)
    A number of years ago I ran into a guy who worked for a major telecommunications company. He worked in a department called, if I remember correctly, "Strategic planning". What it amounted to was that he basically led a team of corporate spies. They'd go into a country that was setting up a new phone network from the competition, pay off someone in the local telephone company, and then they'd get to grab some of the competition's latest hardware for an hour or two, disassemble it, take pictures, put it back together and return it. All so they could keep up with what the competition was doing. Eventually they were busted and some of these guys spent time in a foreign jail. I can't vouch for the authenticity of the story, but for what it's worth, I believe him. I expect this sort of stuff happens all the time.
    • As someone who used to be a VP in a mid-sized International telecommunications carrier, I can confirm that this kind of thing does happen all the time-- particularly in Eastern Europe and "developing" countries where everyone is corrupt and their currency is near worthless.

      The only part of your story that I find hard to believe is that anyone would end up in a foreign jail. Usuallly the people in these kinds of operations end up using a combination of bribes, photocopied passports from locals, and comple
  • I used to work for a company that did various telecommunications things, and selling/servicing Verizon's cell phones was one of them. Every month, there's a meeting in Columbus, where all the agents come in, and they talk about the month, as well as obstacles that they've had.

    I remember one month, quite vividly, where the technical people came out and said that, "We've got the capabilities to compete with Direct Connect, however, it's not something that we're interested in."

    I still find it very difficult t

  • I work for Nextel (Score:5, Informative)

    by armyturtle ( 603867 ) <armyturtle1@yaho o . c om> on Sunday June 29, 2003 @02:42PM (#6326194)
    I can tell you first hand that Nextel would never do such a thing as this. I finished taking a company required moral ethics class via the net (class has been a requirement for employees for years now) that deals with instances EXACTLY as this one. Sure, an individual employee may have gained unauthorized access at some point, but Nextel would have fired the guy immediately and turned over any information/equipment, etc. to Verizon. There's not a chance in hell they would have used it to gain an advantage. As stated by another /.'er, they have no reason to do this; Their Direct Connect/Walkie Talkie has been perfected over 11 years and it now works from coast to coast (soon to be international as well). So what's the reason for Verizon filing suit? They probably heard a Nextel company executive at some point say that they believe Verizon's PTT like service will not live up to Nextel's. But here's the real reason: http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030620/205239_1.html You see, on June 20th, Nextel had multiple trademarks approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The following trade marks (TM) belong to Nextel: PTT, Push To Talk, Push Power, and Nationwide Walkie Talkie (there may be others I'm not aware of). Now this is a REAL PROBLEM for Verizon who needs to describe their "walkie-talkie" like service somehow. They need a name for it, and a catchy one at that. Nextel had a hell of a time getting consumers to understand what "Direct Connect" is. It wasn't until switching to using the term "Walkie-Talkie" that they found it clicked immediately what the service was. Everyone knows what a walkie-talkie is. So it is my opinion that Verizon filed suit over some bogus claim in retaliation to Nextel having their trademarks approved. If Verizon doesn't find a good name for their product and can't any decent terms to describe it (must sum up the meaning in one to three words to catch people's attention) their service will have an extremely difficult time launching. How are you going to convice consumers they should add another charge/service to their phones if you can't adequately explain what it is/does without calling it a walkie talkie, ptt or push to talk service?
    • Am I mistaken or haven't the terms Push-To-Talk and PTT been around since the 1940s? These terms have been used on every voice communications radio that has ever been produced. I don't care who it is, you shouldn't be allowed to trademark a term that has been so openly used for more than half a century

      • Re:Prior Art : PTT (Score:2, Informative)

        by DigitalJEM ( 684259 )
        I think everyone is using the wrong term, including the media. They gained a SERVICE MARK (SM) not a TradeMark (TM). Service Marks are used to describe a service that a provider offers. This would make it impossible for other cellular companies to use the terms they registered. It would not make it illegal for ham radios, cb's, two way radios (truned or FRS), etc etc etc to use the term as they are not in the same "business" as a cellular provider is. It only entails to competition. And I feel that Ne
      • This is correct. I wasn't aware of the difference between a TM and a SM. Nextel certainly isn't going to go after CB & HAM operators using "PTT" or "Push to Talk" to describe their products. I imagine it would only be regarding other companies looking to piggy back on Nextel's success with PTT. If Nextel didn't register these terms, they'd be allowing a free ride for all the other cell companies on the work Nextel has done to build up the PTT service for years. By registering the terms, Nextel is p
    • You say:

      It wasn't until switching to using the term "Walkie-Talkie" that they found it clicked immediately what the service was. Everyone knows what a walkie-talkie is.

      That's right, everyone knows what a walkie-talkie is. Your marketing drones didn't have to spend a penny to get that concept into the minds of your potential customers. That's because the term has been is continuous general use since dirt. Now you're trying to limit others from using a common term? That would be like trying to (Trade|Sales)

      • "Your marketing drones didn't have to spend a penny to get that concept into the minds of your potential customers" This is not true. In fact, I don't believe they actually registered "Walkie-Talkie." But to say they haven't spent money to market the "Walkie-Talkie" is foolish. Just 5 years ago if you'd told most people you were going to offer them a walkie-talkie in a cell phone they'd look at you like you were crazy and would assume the cell phone wasn't actually a cell phone. Whatever the complete l
    • Posability one: Those 'morality' classes are a cover for the 'immoral acts' department you know nothing about.
      It appears odd to go so far out of the way to make employees squeeky clean unless to hide the real dirt.
      Posability two: Verison "psst hay buddy come look at our new phone. Go ahead take it" Nextel "Um ok.. thanks" uses phone as paperweight on desk completely unaware it is a prototype.
      Possability three: Verison planning meeting "Nextel is right how do we get the word out?"
      "We sue Nextel on a frivilou
  • I am sure this has nothing to do with the fact that Verizons push to talk(or push wait talk) has a 7-8 second lag time whereas Nextels service is almost instantaneous(even coast to coast).

  • Nextel's Operative (Score:3, Funny)

    by Kursh Run ( 604344 ) on Sunday June 29, 2003 @03:12PM (#6326329)
    NEXTEL MEMO
    After a cunning infiltration into Verizon's headquarters, agent 008 was revealed. All knowledge of 008 shall be disemboweled. The following log details the situation.

    Location: TOP SECRET VERIZON MEETING
    -------------
    008: "BEEDEEP!"
    Verizon Officials: ?blah blah blah secret secret blah?
    008: "DEEP DEEP BEEP"
    008: "BEEDEEP"
    Verizon Officials: "You hear something?"
    008: "DEP DEEP"."
    -------------
  • If you have a cellphone (from any vendor, with any service provider) you can call any other wired or wireless phone, by dialing its number.

    What would be really nice (and which we certainly arent going to see anytime soon) is if the 'direct connect' feature worked that way too - if you werent restricted to talking only to other people with the same type of phone/service.
    • FastChat does exactly this.. But it is not anywhere as instantaneous as Direct Connect. FastChat uses an IP Network and requires the "installation" of a Java app on the phone you're using it on.. basically it is VoIP. Direct Connect is ESMR.. it is a two way radio (Nextel just added phone capabilities to it (like a ham radio with an AutoPatch).
    • Direct Connect is NOT a two way radio. It works nothing like a two way radio. It only appears to work that way to the end user. Please don't state things you have no clue about. Direct Connect is a packet data communication that uses 6:1 interleving onto the network. Regular interconnect calls (phone calls) use 3:1 interleving and are as a result a much higher voice quality. Because Direct Connect (or Walkie Talkie) uses 6:1 interleving and is a half-duplex like connection it uses little to no network
  • now when i get drunk like last night i can lose a more expensive cell hpone and go crazy over it because the cost not just the whole fact of not haveing the phone.
  • "Can you hear me now?" Nextel is on the other end saying "yes, we hear you, what have you got for us?"

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