According to TelecomTV, 3G is unlikely to take off this year even if prices fall below the $200 mark � a price point championed and cited by Qualcomm and others as the tipping point for popular uptake of the technology. This is the stark warning from Ron Garriques, the president of mobile devices at Motorola. Mr. Garriques says, "People continue to say if you could only hit a certain price point things could take off and fly. But I say low prices alone are not enough to make the market take off in the second half of this year." Mr. Garriques said 3G handsets must become simpler and lighter before mass acceptance will kick in. "I believe that size, weight, battery life, compelling applications and design are just as important as price points," he said, suggesting most subscribers are actually already very satisfied with 2G and 2.5G services. Motorola intends to sell a 3G version of its slim RAZR handset in the fourth quarter this year.
Retailers are forging ahead in adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to master the increasingly complex world of supply chain management. According to the latest ABI Research market study, more than 90 percent of global retailers are deploying AI to bolster decision-making and optimize operations. This movement underscores a pivotal transformation: retail supply chains evolve from static cost centers into intelligent systems capable of real-time adaptation. Driven by pressures from fulfillment complexity, labor challenges, and rising customer expectations, AI now sits at the heart of next-generation retail strategy. Retail Supply Chain Market Development Traditionally, retailers have struggled to balance speed, cost efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Now, the combined forces of e-commerce growth and ongoing geopolitical disruptions have amplified this challenge. Warehouse congestion, longer lead times, and volatile demand forecasts have underscored the need for predictive and...