You have to laugh. If you don’t, the only alternative is tears of utter despair.
Have a read…
It is understood that EE, O2 and Vodafone have been unable to agree on how Weve’s standard mobile wallet should operate since it was announced six months ago, however. They have now effectively scrapped the joint project, which was slated for launch early next year, in favour of individual apps.
via Mobile operators abandon joint ‘wave and pay’ project as Apple looms – The Telegraph.
They couldn’t agree?
Who the fck was negotiating that one, then? Top marks for market awareness, eh? You couldn’t be bothered to agree? Well then. Move along please.
I know a few people connected to the project but I haven’t dared ask them how it’s going. I’ve no doubt the Weve folk were doing their best herding cats, but you have to wonder about the representatives of the operators.
Those must have been some fun meetings.
And the meetings that led up to today’s announcement? Comical. Absolutely comical.
Here’s another choice quote from The Telegraph:
A source at one mobile operator said Apple’s move meant it would have to write off gaining a share of payments from iPhone users, who represent about a third of the UK smartphone market.
Yeah. Welcome back to Planet Earth, Mr Operator. You are a dumb, dumb, dumb data pipe. And it’s about time you actually, finally, recognised it.
You know what? You’d make a lot more money if you didn’t blow it all on bollocks activities.
The market’s made the decision. Mobile operators are wholly irrelevant beyond the commodity service they provide (often, very poorly).
In days gone by, the operator was King Maker. They controlled the handset and the first screen you saw.
Those were the days.