Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Loose Lips Spill Tips

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2003 15:41:09 -0500

Loose Lips Spill Tips
By Spencer F. Katt
December 8, 2003

No doubt about it, communication is key in this ever-shrinking global village.
Folks may fuss over VOIP, Wi-Fi, or tin cans and string, but Spencer F. Katt
knows nothing works better than COAP (Chatting over Alcohol Protocol).

Downing sake martinis in San Francisco, the Lynx loosened the lips of a tattler
who claimed HP Linux executives are mulling extending the company's offer to
defend Linux users sued by The SCO Group to non-HP customers. HP has already
said it will indemnify its own customers as long as they meet several
conditions, including handing over their defense to HP's legal team. The tattler
claimed if HP decides to play guardian angel to non-HP customers, the Bay area
behemoth would ask the defendants to switch to HP gear. It reminded Spence of
his childhood as a kitten when the toughest tabby on the block offered to
protect him from a pack of vicious dogs in return for his lunch money.

Spence scarfed the olive, hailed a cab and was off to SFO for the red-eye to
D.C. and the Charles Schwab Telecom Summit. In the Fairmont Hotel's bar, the
Katt tossed aside his phone jack in favor of a glass of Jack as he chatted up a
smooth operator in the know about Nextel. It seems the recent defections at
Nextel of cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw and Nextel founder Morgan O'Brien have
fueled speculation that the company is about to be sold or will acquire another
carrier. But with other carriers getting heavily into push-to-talk, Nextel's
edge is dulling. What's more, Nextel's spectrum portfolio continues to be less
than ideal, and oft- mentioned suitor MCI is still extricating itself from
bankruptcy, the source summarized.

As last call neared, Spencer's switchboard-savvy sidekick claimed that Verizon's
upcoming VOIP plans are viewed by the company as a second-line offering, not
something that folks would rely on for all communications. Looking for new
revenue streams, Verizon is said to be testing fiber to the curb, fiber to the
home and wireless options.

According to the telecom tattler, some industry watchers question whether the
Bells have serious plans for VOIP. Considering that it would cannibalize
traditional voice services, speculators think any Bell-ringing concerning VOIP
may be just a busy signal to keep regulators and customers on hold.

The Maven of Murmur meandered home in time to imbibe mimosas with a Microsoft
watcher who claimed Redmond is asking folks who have posted photos and video
clips of Bill and Steve's Comdex "Matrix" spoof to pull them from their Web
sites. The reason? The postings violate the "rule" limiting flash photography to
the first minute of a Bill Gates speech. "Even Jack Valente would have let this
one go," cackled the Kitty.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1405135,00.asp

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