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New Macheen enables device makers to act as operators

While gadget makers continue to roll out more and more mobile-capable products one recently-launched company has taken matters a step further by enabling these players to act as operators in the eyes of their customers.

Through partnerships with mobile operators U.S.-based Macheen is able to offer device makers connectivity as well as access to its own cloud-based, white label charging system, thereby allowing them to embed their gadgets with their own-branded Internet services. End users then sign up to, and pay for, the service via online accounts.

The company's first customer, or tenant, as they are referred to by Macheen, is Dell, which during February's Mobile World Congress unveiled its NetReady mobile broadband service for customers in Germany. However, Macheen itself only formally launched at the beginning of this month.

"It eliminates all the barriers to getting connected," commented Richard Schwartz, CEO of Macheen, who explained to Total Telecom this week that his company's platform allows device makers to set their own tariffs. The revenue generated is then split between Macheen and its device partners, he said.

It also means the end-user is not required to engage directly with an operator in order to get online.

"Device makers and retailers have been looking at what Amazon has done with the Kindle, which was to bundle and brand their own [ebook] service, and leave the connectivity in the background," said Schwartz. "That's what Macheen does – we enable device makers and retailers to offer hot-out-the-box connectivity."

Macheen also aims to partner with network operators all over the world to give global reach to its customers' Internet services.

"If an end customer has purchased a connected device they will expect it to work wherever they go," he said. "From a device maker's standpoint, I've got different markets where I release my products, and I want to be able to offer my services in these markets."

He said talks are ongoing with operators but declined to comment on how many Macheen has so far partnered with.

Schwartz also said that the extra income generated by bundling Web services with new gadgets is becoming increasingly important for device makers because "margins on hardware are not that high these days", and because consumers don't necessarily make use of embedded mobile broadband modules.

"They're producing these connectable devices but the attach rates are very low... they're taking on the hardware cost for components that aren't being lit on," he said.

Not surprisingly Schwartz believes the solution lies in device makers themselves offering services.

"Instead of shipping a piece of iron you're offering a device and an ongoing service relationship that will continue after the point of sale," he said. "There's very strong value to maintaining a connected relationship with the user."

Источник: Total Telecom

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