A funny thing happened on my way out of the exhibit area at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association’s Wireless Apps ’96 conference last week in Las Vegas.
When I left Sunday evening, I could have sworn the backside of the entryway banner announced next year’s show would be in Los Angeles. But when I walked out Tuesday night it read “Seattle.”
Fairies? No, footprint.
Apparently planners for next year’s show didn’t realize that Los Angeles doesn’t have Cellular Digital Packet Data coverage. It could have been quite embarrassing for the show’s co-sponsor, the CDPD Forum. It might have been even more embarrassing for applications developers when their customers tried to step up on a rung that wasn’t there.
With Internet-based applications dominating the stage today, wireless data visionaries are thinking globally but still have to load locally.
This year’s conference was much better than last year’s. Presentations were more on point with a good selection of speakers and exhibitors, plus more traffic. CTIA really put its reputation on the line when promoting this conference and largely delivered.
But the association is trying to serve two masters by providing a trade show where vendors can connect with buyers as well as a venue where apps developers can be brought into the wireless faith.
The industry certainly needs to evangelize developers, divert their attention from those seductive, broadband Internet pipes, lure them into the wireless space and soothe their fears of limited markets, spotty coverage, narrow bandwidth, high transmission costs and a digital air interface Tower of Babel that Geoworks’ President Gordon Mayer called a “travesty” for consumers and those trying to grow the apps market.
Despite its challenges, small developers might be the most interested in wireless opportunities simply because they are shut out of the personal computer and landline networking markets dominated by code-bloated software giants.
But gathering these small, scattered developers is like trying to herd cats.
Executives from AT&T’s Wireless Data Division are even riding off to New York this week to try and round up a few at the Netscape Developers Conference.
Can Tom Wheeler wrangle developers into the wireless corral as well as he does politicians inside the Beltway?
Moving Wireless Apps ’97 out of Sin City to a major high-tech center like Seattle is a step in the right direction.
