Scott McNealy may have had some strategic advice for the Telcos the other day, but it looks like it is way too late: Sprint “Simply Everything We Can Do To Keep This Sucker Afloat” plan.
When its three major competitors in the wireless game started offering unlimited cell plans for a flat rate of $99.99 a month a week or so ago, Sprint Nextel, with a shrinking pile of chips, had the usual choices — fold, call or raise.
Today it chose to raise, introducing a plan at the same price point called “Simply Everything,” which offers unlimited voice (like Verizon Wireless and AT&T) and messaging (like T-Mobile), but also unlimited data use, Web surfing, Sprint TV and Music, GPS and more.
“This is a bold, unprecedented move,” said CEO Dan Hesse.
[...] We are removing the barriers for customers to feel free to use all of the features of their phones.”
All of this might have made for a rare day of positive Sprint headlines were it not for the fact that the announcement was accompanied by some truly ugly quarterly results and a pile of related bad news.
Why is it that when hidebound businesses like Telcos start making "bold and unprecedented moves" they tend to look more like leaping out of the way of the falling curtain.
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