Zeev's Turnips Patch-No Politics (ZEEV)

[marketmaven]

NXTL at $25- Push to Talk Confusion in Europe (Can you hear me now!!!?)

Nokia Move May Hamper Hopes For Walkie-Talkies
By DAVID PRINGLE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

LONDON -- The cellphone industry has been heralding walkie-talkie technology as the next big thing, but that promise appears to have suffered a blow amid signs of a rift between NokiaCorp. and others trying to develop common technical standards. In autumn, Nokia, Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson, Motorola Inc. and Siemens AG said they would ensure that all their walkie-talkie handsets and network equipment would work together. But Ericsson said Monday that Nokia, the world's leading cellphone maker, is developing walkie-talkie handsets that won't work with network software from other suppliers.

After watching Nextel Communications Inc. of the U.S. attract new customers with walkie-talkie-style technology, other cellphone-service providers are rolling out similar services. Designed to allow users to talk to one or more people in short bursts just by pushing a button on their handset, Nextel's walkie-talkie services have proven popular with teams of workers, such as builders, in the U.S. Now, France's Orange SA, Verizon Wireless of the U.S. and other service providers are hoping the walkie-talkie concept will prove popular with a much wider audience.