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Posts Tagged ‘Nexus One’
Apple in patent row with HTC
March 9, 2010 | 
Author Apple iPhone, which was originally launched in 2007 is still grappling with many issues – legal and otherwise. If it were the connectivity issues and deficient functions and features in its earlier days; now it is the patents and copy right issues that are plaguing the Apple smart phone.
Apple is grappling with copy right issues with HTC and has taken legal action against the Taiwan based phone maker HTC, alleging that it has infringed as many as 20 patents owned by Apple that are used in the iPhone.
HTC is famous for its many sleek handsets including Nexus One, the first handset to be branded by Google apart from many other handsets that employ Google’s Android operating system. With Google defending its mobile handset partner of HTC, it is going to be a tussle between the giants. Though Google is not a party to the law suit, it has decided to throw its weight behind HTC, its partner in developing the Android technology. Google chief Eric Schmidt had resigned last year from the Apple board of directors alleging conflict of interest in the wake of increasing competition between Google and Apple in Android Vs iPhone competition to wrestle the market share.
At least some industry watchers are rather skeptical of the timing of the law suit of Apple, which surprisingly coincided with the launch of the Android phones and many feel that it could be a delaying tactic of Apple to slow down the Android market before Google edges them out in the race. By targetting HTC, which manufactures a range of Android and Windows Mobile devices, Apple may be trying to put the entire industry on notice and to ensure its monopoly in this technology. With speculations gathering momentum, the need of the hour for Apple is to clear the apprehensions of atleast some consumers who have started thinking that Apple has gone overboard by clipping others in the fray in marketing its product.
We at Reputation Management For.com feel that a sound PR policy will not just protect the domain and the technology of Apple but also can clear the air before the customers start wondering who has stolen whose technology? The need of the hour for Apple is to safeguard the trust and the goodwill reposed in this world famous brand by the millions of apple fans all over the world.
Posted in Company Reputation, Damage Limitation, Product Reviews | 
Tags: Android phone, Apple iPhone, Google, HTC, Nexus One, Patent row | 
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Google’s Customer Service Issues
Last week, I was considering whether to move the company’s email services from our own server to Google professional applications; was, until I considered whether I would trust Google’s customer service to support me effectively. Instead I am moving to Rackspace that offers 24 hour phone support. I bring this up as a preface to a review of Google’s problems with customer service for the Nexus One handset.
Two weeks after launch and online forums are filled with complaints about technical issues with the Nexus One such as spotty 3G connectivity and the lack of support from Google. (see Google’s own customer support forums) The Nexus One like the iPhone is already attracting “fanboy” status with owners decrying vehemently any critics, but with sales of 20,000 (supposedly) and the forums containing 1000s of questions, it does look like there are some problems.
There are two tactical issues for Google to address:
and one wider strategic question:
There seem to be two divergent views on the impact of the challenges on Google:
Although Google has been a consumer brand for a long time, they don’t strictly speaking have consumers as their paying customers. It has had a business to business model based around advertising, like many media companies. As such it has had modest customer service issues to manage and has developed sophisticated tools to support those businesses via Adwords accounts. Now with the Nexus One they are selling directly to consumers but they do not seem to have developed the same sophisticated tools to identify or support those handset users.
Consumers are tough cookies when it comes to demanding support for their idiocy and expect a voice at the end of the line, something Google does not do and something Google seems to have an antipathy for. So, if Google does not want to customer service, maybe they should not do retail at all. For the first time they can directly damage their relationship with vocal consumers who will begin to see Google as a whole in a different light. It is somewhat similar issue to Virgin: if your trains don’t run on time, what does it say about your bank or your airline?
Google does have a great opportunity by going direct as a retailer, but it will need to use its formidable brainpower to develop a customer service algorithm every bit as sophisticated as its search engine if it is to make a success of it!