Cingular Trials Free Calls To Landlines
I see an anti-trust lawsuit comming!
If this goes through trials well, and they deploy mass market, I don't see it too long before an anti-trust lawsuit is brought against them. I base that statement on the Microsoft case a few years back. Now when you buy a new PC, it only comes with a trial version of office instead of the full version.
Only time will be the real test in the matter, but SBC/Cingular is dipping their fingers into more and more pockets.
Only time will be the real test in the matter, but SBC/Cingular is dipping their fingers into more and more pockets.
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anti-trust laws in the united states is a joke.. microsoft is violating them now and in the past, and nothing has happened. lol.
unfort.. nothing will happen..
unfort.. nothing will happen..
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Stuff has happened. Not every instance is addressed, but take a look back at Standard Oil, the original Bell Communications company, and yes, even microsoft. It was only a few years ago that Office was included with windows. However after loosing a anti-trust lawsuit, it is no longer bundled with windows.
I agree that alot of times nothing is done, but to say that nothing will happen or ever has happened is a bit naive.
I agree that alot of times nothing is done, but to say that nothing will happen or ever has happened is a bit naive.
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that is true.. speaking of telecommunications companies i can give you 2 examples that monopolies currently exist and the justice department has been doing nothing.. (up to this point in time of course, there are lawsuits filed this year though)
qcom in the cdma market and txn in the gsm market.
qcom in the cdma market and txn in the gsm market.
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nextel18 said:
that is true.. speaking of telecommunications companies i can give you 2 examples that monopolies currently exist and the justice department has been doing nothing.. (up to this point in time of course, there are lawsuits filed this year though)
qcom in the cdma market and txn in the gsm market.
Both companies have excellent lobbyists.
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Wait, I don't know the circumstances of that ruling. How does that microsoft case apply here?
I don't really see the connection to an anti-trust suit. Cingular is offering an add-on service to make free calls to SBC/AT&T customers. Cingular customers aren't required to buy it. AFAIK it won't be included by default in new activations. Why is this monopoly abuse?
I don't really see the connection to an anti-trust suit. Cingular is offering an add-on service to make free calls to SBC/AT&T customers. Cingular customers aren't required to buy it. AFAIK it won't be included by default in new activations. Why is this monopoly abuse?
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I never said that this was monopoly abuse or that it was forced. I was making the assumpition due to the increase in "partnerships" that cingular is making.
How does microsoft apply? They didnt charge any more for office with windows than they did for just windows, but because of the pricing and the fact that it was more expensive to buy other office products, it made it hard for the competition to sell their software.
When a company has alot of add-on services at discounted prices, it makes it harder for the competition in all of the sectors to compete, especially if they can't get any agreements that are comparable.
Allot of times anti-trust lawsuits arent filed because someone FORCED the consumer to buy, but becasuse they made ...
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How does microsoft apply? They didnt charge any more for office with windows than they did for just windows, but because of the pricing and the fact that it was more expensive to buy other office products, it made it hard for the competition to sell their software.
When a company has alot of add-on services at discounted prices, it makes it harder for the competition in all of the sectors to compete, especially if they can't get any agreements that are comparable.
Allot of times anti-trust lawsuits arent filed because someone FORCED the consumer to buy, but becasuse they made ...
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This isn't really a discount. They're charging you $6/month for this add-on right? Maybe if this was a free thing, then I could understand the argument of this deal being abuse of a monopoly.
However does Cingular really qualify as a monopoly? Verizon Wireless is nearly as large in terms of customers. VZW could just as easily copy this program for its VZW & Verizon landline customers. Plus didn't some others in this discussion mention Alltel has a similar deal?
I really don't think this will turn into an anti-trust suit. This just doesn't stifle competition.
However does Cingular really qualify as a monopoly? Verizon Wireless is nearly as large in terms of customers. VZW could just as easily copy this program for its VZW & Verizon landline customers. Plus didn't some others in this discussion mention Alltel has a similar deal?
I really don't think this will turn into an anti-trust suit. This just doesn't stifle competition.
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I never said that this was a monopoly or anti-trust but that i saw one comming in the future. Not nessecarily because of this. SBC/Cingy/ATT/Yahoo... the relationships go on and on... that's what Im basing it on.
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To justify an antitrust lawsuit, wouldn't you have to prove *abuse* of monopoly power?
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not nessecarily. If a company can prove that another company has an unfair advantage or is making it very difficult if not impossible for others to sell their product or service then that would qualify them for an antitrust.
Thats what nailed microsoft in some of their cases. They did not have a monopoly (like with IE) but because it was bundled and required for windows, it was hard for netscape to market their product even though it too was free.
If company A and B sells potatoes, and company A says that if you buy our potatoes well give you a potatoe peeler for $1 and a pot for another $1 and so on and so one, people would be less likely to buy company B's potatoes due to the bundles available. Even though they arent required to b...
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Thats what nailed microsoft in some of their cases. They did not have a monopoly (like with IE) but because it was bundled and required for windows, it was hard for netscape to market their product even though it too was free.
If company A and B sells potatoes, and company A says that if you buy our potatoes well give you a potatoe peeler for $1 and a pot for another $1 and so on and so one, people would be less likely to buy company B's potatoes due to the bundles available. Even though they arent required to b...
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PooFlinger1 said:
Since most people dont have a choice as to which landline they have, and broadband is available in very limited areas, people in the areas with landline that has deals with cingy (like SBC here is St. Louis) are more likely to sign with cingy with these bundle deals. It gives them an edge over the competition that the competition may not be able to offer. I know that verizon too has landline service, but overall in the US, Bell companies hold a greater percentage of coverage.
But, Micorosft's *requiring* IE be with Windows was the killer, because some PC makers wanted to market MS Windows, but they did not want to market IE. Microsoft would not allow them to purchase Windows without IE,...
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Right, and if it was verizons name in there and not cingulars, I probably would have said the same thing... Regardless of the company, they should only dip their fingers in so many pockets.
Here in STL, we only have SBC available as a landline. There are some idiots that see a bundle deal and buy based on that fact alone and dont look at the companies/products involved and don't do any research. I know that out here you can get a bundle with Yahoo DSL, SBC landline, and Cingular Wireless at reduced pricing. Well, thats great for the small percentage of people that like Cingular, and have DSL available in the area. I'm not by any means saying that nobody in STL likes Cingular, but DSL is EXTREMELY limited, and in the areas that it is ...
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Here in STL, we only have SBC available as a landline. There are some idiots that see a bundle deal and buy based on that fact alone and dont look at the companies/products involved and don't do any research. I know that out here you can get a bundle with Yahoo DSL, SBC landline, and Cingular Wireless at reduced pricing. Well, thats great for the small percentage of people that like Cingular, and have DSL available in the area. I'm not by any means saying that nobody in STL likes Cingular, but DSL is EXTREMELY limited, and in the areas that it is ...
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Wasn't the problem with Microsoft was that Microsoft would not sell Windows without Microsoft programs, even if the vendors did not want to purchase them?
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No, it was actually incorporated into windows. Even if you went out and bought a version off the shelf, it came with office. At that time they never really released a version without it.
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That's not right. I've used Windows 3.11, 95 and 98 and none of my install CDs (well, disks for 3.11) had Office integrated.
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My version of 98 did, as did my retail version of 95. My OEM verison of 95 did not as the manufacturer removed it. As for 3.11, they didn't start bundling it until 95. 95 and 98 were the only two versions (and a few NT) to include office. The lawsuit was filed before 2000 came out so they stopped after 98SE.
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Office was never included in OEM retail packaging of Windows 3.x, 9x, ME, 2000, XP.. whatever.. The main reason the whole anti-trust lawsuit was brought upon Microsoft was that Netscape contended that Microsoft incorporated Internet Explorer into every release of Windows since 95 (in fact, IE is built directly into it and therefore can't be uninstalled), giving them an unfair advantage on the market. Vista will not be built around IE (part of the settlement stated that has to happen).
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I think you've confused Office with Internet Explorer.
Here's a timeline of Microsoft's anti-trust troubles:
http://www.wired.com/news/antitrust/0,1551,35212,00. ... »
The case seemed to have 2 main complaints. The famous one is Netscape vs. IE, where MS, by building IE as a part of Windows, used its monopoly of the operating system to promote use of its web browser.
The 2nd complaint that got little press was how Microsoft bullied computer companies into offering only Windows to their customers.
Here's a timeline of Microsoft's anti-trust troubles:
http://www.wired.com/news/antitrust/0,1551,35212,00. ... »
The case seemed to have 2 main complaints. The famous one is Netscape vs. IE, where MS, by building IE as a part of Windows, used its monopoly of the operating system to promote use of its web browser.
The 2nd complaint that got little press was how Microsoft bullied computer companies into offering only Windows to their customers.
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Look, it's a trial offer. If you don't like it, then don't take the trial! If you have ATT service and want to give it a shot, then go ahead and do it. However, I don't see any sort of anti trust lawsuit coming with this at all. Case in fact: qwest has bundled programs with cell service, internet, directv, and landline. Is it a monopoly? No, it OFFERS the ability to have these services. Now if they required you to sign up with directv when you get dsl, then I would cause a fit. Never can incentive based business be considered a monopoly in any way, shape, or form. Also, with all the mergers going on you'd think there would be antitrust lawsuits flinging around under pooslinger's preconceived definition of a monopoly, but there isn't...becaus...
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sw44 said:
Also, I'm not sure if I'd willingly trade rhetoric with a guy that calls himself pooslinger...that's just plain ludicrous. 😉
But it's slow at work and I'm running out of ways to pass the time 😳
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This forum is closed.
