Re: Avis to Offer Wireless Internet (AP via Yahoo! Finance)

admin@ng2000.com hath wroth:

>Avis Rent A Car System is offering customers a wireless Internet service to use in its rented cars, hotel rooms and other places a traveler might go.
>Just one of Today's Top 10 Consumer News Stories: http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=wireless-internet

<http://www.autonetmobile.com/wp/service>
That was announced in January 2007 and this is May, when Autonet
claims they'll finally ship something.
<http://www.avis.com/AvisWeb/JSP/global/en/aboutavis/press_room/2007-001.jsp>
$11/day rent via a mobile access point that uses Verizon or Sprint
cellular as a backhaul.

I asked Avis in March when it would be available and how they were
handling bandwidth and traffic control on the cellular backhaul.
"We'll know when we get to play with one" was the answer. I also
noted that since it was designed to plug into the cancer stick igniter
jack, which turns off when the key is removed, it apparently was
designed to be operated while moving. That should create some really
interesting moving accidents. "But ossifer, I was just checking my
online flight reservations on my laptop when I ran the traffic light."


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> admin@ng2000.com hath wroth:
>
>> Avis Rent A Car System is offering customers a wireless Internet service to use in its rented cars, hotel rooms and other places a traveler might go.
>> Just one of Today's Top 10 Consumer News Stories: http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=wireless-internet
>
> <http://www.autonetmobile.com/wp/service>
> That was announced in January 2007 and this is May, when Autonet
> claims they'll finally ship something.
> <http://www.avis.com/AvisWeb/JSP/global/en/aboutavis/press_room/2007-001.jsp>
> $11/day rent via a mobile access point that uses Verizon or Sprint
> cellular as a backhaul.
>
> I asked Avis in March when it would be available and how they were
> handling bandwidth and traffic control on the cellular backhaul.


Isn't Avis just a reseller of another companies product who is a
reseller of EVDO/1XRTT data from VZW or Sprint? I think if they are that
low down on the food chain they may know nothing more than how to plug
it in.



> "We'll know when we get to play with one" was the answer. I also
> noted that since it was designed to plug into the cancer stick igniter
> jack, which turns off when the key is removed, it apparently was
> designed to be operated while moving. That should create some really
> interesting moving accidents. "But ossifer, I was just checking my
> online flight reservations on my laptop when I ran the traffic light."
>
>

I imagine this will come up on Dewey, Cheatum & Howes radar really quick
after the first accident.

George <george@nospam.invalid> hath wroth:

>Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>> admin@ng2000.com hath wroth:
>>
>>> Avis Rent A Car System is offering customers a wireless Internet service to use in its rented cars, hotel rooms and other places a traveler might go.
>>> Just one of Today's Top 10 Consumer News Stories: http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=wireless-internet
>>
>> <http://www.autonetmobile.com/wp/service>
>> That was announced in January 2007 and this is May, when Autonet
>> claims they'll finally ship something.
>> <http://www.avis.com/AvisWeb/JSP/global/en/aboutavis/press_room/2007-001.jsp>
>> $11/day rent via a mobile access point that uses Verizon or Sprint
>> cellular as a backhaul.
>>
>> I asked Avis in March when it would be available and how they were
>> handling bandwidth and traffic control on the cellular backhaul.

>Isn't Avis just a reseller of another companies product who is a
>reseller of EVDO/1XRTT data from VZW or Sprint?

Yes. I think (not sure) the way it works is that AutoNet buys bulk
bandwidth from Sprint or Verizon and resells it to Avis along with
renting their hardware. I'll ask at the local Avis agency next time I
walk by to see if there are any new updates.

What I'm trying to figure out how anyone is going to make money with
this service. Figure on a 3 day typical auto rental, that generates
$33 in receivables to Avis. AutoNet probably gets half. The hardware
probably costs at least $300 and the airtime is probably going to be
about half of what Verizon sells a day pass or about half of $15/day
for their "VCAST VPAK Web services". Unless AutoNet or Avis is
getting cheap bandwidth and subsidized hardware, I just don't see how
anyone is going to make money. It would also be interesting to see
how they handle roaming charges.

>I think if they are that
>low down on the food chain they may know nothing more than how to plug
>it in.

True. I sorta assumed that the rumor mill was functional and that the
various agency personnel would get some advanced warning or perhaps
some training.

>> "We'll know when we get to play with one" was the answer. I also
>> noted that since it was designed to plug into the cancer stick igniter
>> jack, which turns off when the key is removed, it apparently was
>> designed to be operated while moving. That should create some really
>> interesting moving accidents. "But ossifer, I was just checking my
>> online flight reservations on my laptop when I ran the traffic light."

>I imagine this will come up on Dewey, Cheatum & Howes radar really quick
>after the first accident.

Sure. However, there is technology available to prevent operation
while in motion. For example:
<http://www.google.com/patents?id=0l8SAAAAEBAJ>
Basically, an accelerometer inside the device detects motion and turns
off the device. Or just wire it to the gear shifter. I would not be
surprised if this sort of contraption was mandated by our brilliant
government representatives after the initial highway carnage
precipitated by using maps, DVD players, iPods, and now wireless
internet while moving. "It's for your own good...".

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sun, 20 May 2007 23:51:37 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
<jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us> wrote:

> I also noted that since it was designed to plug into the cancer stick igniter
>jack, which turns off when the key is removed, it apparently was
>designed to be operated while moving.

Not really a valid assumption. My car ignition has an "aux"
position where the radio/CD and the power jack are active.

Jeff Liebermann wrote:


>
> What I'm trying to figure out how anyone is going to make money with
> this service. Figure on a 3 day typical auto rental, that generates
> $33 in receivables to Avis. AutoNet probably gets half. The hardware
> probably costs at least $300 and the airtime is probably going to be
> about half of what Verizon sells a day pass or about half of $15/day
> for their "VCAST VPAK Web services". Unless AutoNet or Avis is
> getting cheap bandwidth and subsidized hardware, I just don't see how
> anyone is going to make money. It would also be interesting to see
> how they handle roaming charges.
>

I don't think roaming would be a consideration because "Autonet" seems
to have deals with both VZW and Sprint. So it would likely use one of
those carriers or none at all.

I think the main reason it will be a loosing deal is lack of customers.
Usually people who are mobile broadband users already have an aircard or
PPC.



>> I think if they are that
>> low down on the food chain they may know nothing more than how to plug
>> it in.
>
> True. I sorta assumed that the rumor mill was functional and that the
> various agency personnel would get some advanced warning or perhaps
> some training.
>
>>> "We'll know when we get to play with one" was the answer. I also
>>> noted that since it was designed to plug into the cancer stick igniter
>>> jack, which turns off when the key is removed, it apparently was
>>> designed to be operated while moving. That should create some really
>>> interesting moving accidents. "But ossifer, I was just checking my
>>> online flight reservations on my laptop when I ran the traffic light."
>
>> I imagine this will come up on Dewey, Cheatum & Howes radar really quick
>> after the first accident.
>
> Sure. However, there is technology available to prevent operation
> while in motion. For example:
> <http://www.google.com/patents?id=0l8SAAAAEBAJ>
> Basically, an accelerometer inside the device detects motion and turns
> off the device. Or just wire it to the gear shifter. I would not be
> surprised if this sort of contraption was mandated by our brilliant
> government representatives after the initial highway carnage
> precipitated by using maps, DVD players, iPods, and now wireless
> internet while moving. "It's for your own good...".
>

George <george@nospam.invalid> hath wroth:

>I don't think roaming would be a consideration because "Autonet" seems
>to have deals with both VZW and Sprint. So it would likely use one of
>those carriers or none at all.

Yep. Roaming for voice calls, with their minimal use of bandwidth is
fairly simple and economical for both carriers. I'm not sure that
doing the same with broadband wireless is so simple or cheap. Just
guessing.

>I think the main reason it will be a loosing deal is lack of customers.
>Usually people who are mobile broadband users already have an aircard or
>PPC.

Not really. There are literally thousands of 802.11b/g equipped
laptops for every EVDO customer. They may have EVDO broadband on
their cell phones, but not on their laptops. This is just an easy way
to get those commodity 802.11b/g laptops connected to the internet in
the vehicle. Think kids, students, and chat addicts. It might also
be useful for VoIP for those without national cellular calling plans.

We're also assuming that it's going to be used primarily by business
travelers using 802.11b/g equipped laptops. That may be but I suspect
that the portable use of Wi-Fi equipped game consoles might be equally
popular. I've seen such repeaters running in commuter van pools and
soccer mom SUV's with rolling entertainment centers to keep the brats
busy. I just don't see the average business user, renting a car in an
unfamiliar city, and checking their email while stuck in traffic.
Well, it might happen as I often see people reading newspapers while
crawling along in traffic.

Also, I don't think that Avis is going to equip every rental car with
such a repeater. My guess(tm) is that there will be a few AutoNet
boxes available for rent at each location, for whatever the traffic
will bear.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558