The CES show might not seem like the type of venue where attendees will be looking for Ericsson Mobile Broadband Modules. After all, its modules are tucked inside gadgets and not usually seen by the casual observer.
But the company will have a presence at the show, including inside devices like Sony’s e-book The Reader Daily Edition, which has access to AT&T’s HSPA network. Sony is the first but not the last announced customer in the eReader segment for Ericsson, says Mats Norin, vice president of Ericsson Mobile Broadband Modules.
Of course, Ericsson doesn’t disclose figures as to how many modules it supplies to its customers, but the company believes of the more than 4 million eBook readers expected to be sold this year, more than half of them will include connectivity.
Devices like the Sony eReader open up new business models and revenue streams for operators. But they’re just the tip of the iceberg. “These platforms with modules inside make it possible to be connected whenever you want them,” Norin says. “It’s now possible to come closer to our vision … to have a more connected world.”
Asked about expectations around an Apple tablet that could share some of the same functionality as eReaders, Norin says he takes it as a good sign that companies believe in the business model enough to pursue those devices, whether they be tablets or others. Electronic book readers are the proof point that such connectivity will start appearing in other devices, he says.
Filed Under: Infrastructure