Verizon Wireless releases 'open specifications' for device builders

Going forward with an historic initiative launched last November, one of the nation's largest wireless carriers held a gala conference to celebrate the release of specifications for how any wireless device can just plug right into its network.

While Verizon Wireless' vice president for open development, Tony Lewis, read the FCC disclaimer prior to the start of his presentation in New York City yesterday -- the part where he says he's prohibited from discussing the proceedings or outcome of the 700 MHz auction, usually the least newsworthy part of a show -- his wide, beaming smile and jovial demeanor spoke volumes.

And while a wide smile isn't exactly "news," its having coincidentally appeared in a gala unveiling event for VZW's open phone specifications on the day after the auction's close, told its own little story about his company's hopes.

The actual purpose of yesterday's event was to celebrate the production of documents that inform device engineers how to get their products onto the Verizon Wireless network. Last November, VZW made the historic announcement that it would freely release a specification for any and all wireless device manufacturers to reference, to give those devices access to its 3G voice and data networks. AT&T followed up the following month with a declaration that its network was already open, though it has yet to follow up with not only the release of specifications, but a certification program intended to help bring devices up to speed.

"Open development, opening this network will allow us to build devices that will give customers...new choices," Lewis told attendees. "So why do this now? Innovation. What better method to, in fact, move this entire country forward, to move the economy forward, than finding new ways to innovate. I don't have to tell this audience what innovation actually means, and what can happen when you sit back and think about the opportunities that exist. But we want to do that. We want to push it forward, we want this to grow at an exponential rate."

From VZW's current perspective, giving manufacturers a way to plug in simply expands the company's potential reach, and broadens its customer base. Beginning yesterday, Lewis said (although no new devices have yet been certified), consumers are capable of enrolling their choice of compatible phone with the VZW network by calling an 800 number and following a step-by-step procedure.

"Customers will be allowed to connect to our network any device that meets minimal technical standards," he stated. Determining whether a device meets those standards will be the job of Lewis' open development team. "We'll get this device certified. This process will not be lengthy, it will not be difficult, it will not be costly. Our mission is to get these devices in and out, back to you, so that you can, in fact, get them through your processes, get them distributed, and get them out into the hands of customers."

But just how long will that take? As Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone stated, "Number one, we want this to be an efficient and timely process. We cannot expect this partnership to work if you submit a device, and then a year later, that device gets a stamp of approval."

Melone explained his team's goal for the length of time consumed in readying and certifying a new device, will be four weeks from start to finish. The way Melone's slide was laid out made it look like he meant to say seven weeks, and unfortunately, that's how some who saw only the slide reported the story.

"If we really look at the actual bench time of the tests involved," Melone said, "we're probably looking at a two- to three-week period of actual bench time where the device is actually running through scripted tests." Some of those tests can be automated, though depending on manufacturer preferences, any number of these tests can be manually performed, he added.

"The overall process is likely to be a four-week process, when you look at teardown and setup of the various tests, in addition to the bench time, the actual analysis of data, the actual submitting of the reports, etc., we're really looking at an end-to-end process of about four weeks. But I can't stress the last point enough: That is highly dependent upon the readiness of a device coming to the lab."

That's also dependent upon just what it is that's being submitted for testing. As Tony Lewis made clear earlier, it won't be just phones that VZW will be testing, and the company isn't at all sure how many manufacturers will flock to its labs.

As Melone added, "We also want [the process] to be scalable. We really don't know what to expect here. Is it going to be one device a month? One device a year? Or hundreds of devices in a month? And that will change over time."

VZW will contract with some third-party labs for bench testing, and there may be fees involved with that process, Melone admitted.

"We're not looking for this to be a profit center for us," he said. "Quite frankly, when you're dealing with our third-party labs, that relationship's going to be between you and them. To the extent our lab is providing certification services, the fees will be marketplace-based fees."

Verizon Wireless' open development labs Web site did go live yesterday, though at the moment, it contains little more than a registration form for new device developers, and Webcast recordings from yesterday's speeches.