Jason Nealis
Erols Internet
On Thu, 28 Aug 1997, Turnando Fuad wrote:
> Let me start by saying I don't want to start a religious war on X2 and
> K56Flex. It doesn't matter which is the better technology, it matters what
> the consumer chooses and decides. I bought a very superior computer back
> in 1989 called the NeXT computer(I still NeXTStep is a superior OS today)
> and you know the rest of the story. The same goes for OS/2 and the
> Macintosh. I will share my thoughts from the ISP viewpoint.
>
> This X2 and K56Flex war is a dilemna for ISPs and their customers. Most
> ISPs will not be able to afford supporting both X2 and K56Flex. As a
> result, many ISPs will lose X number of existing customers and potential
> new customers until the new 56K standard becomes available. That X value
> or damage will yet to be determined. Because of their earlier deployment
> of 56K aka X2, coupled with their reputation as an excellent modem
> manufacturer and their superior marketing for X2, USR have won the hearts
> and minds of the consumers regarding 56K. Because of X2 onslaught, many
> consumers are thinking that X2 and 56K are one and the same. At the
> sametime, it's discouraging to see little K56Flex onslaught in the media.
> X2 have won the battle and whether they win the war remains to be seen. I
> believe that onslaught should have begun even without a product to at
> least get K56Flex recognition out there. Most movies are advertised a few
> months before they are released. I have thought hard and long about how to
> explain to our USR(potential X2) customers why we chose or were forced to
> choose K56Flex because we chose Livingston for the better integrated
> solution. And my feelings are that most customers that have X2 don't
> really care, as there are enough X2 ISPs out there for them to choose
> from. And as an ISP, we are in the IP business and not in the modem
> business. We would rather not have to knock X2 and push K56Flex if
> possible even if K56Flex is in fact technically superior than X2(so was
> MacOS vs Win3.1).
>
> We would like to see the vendors all just eat humble pie(in other words,
> get a reality check) and get together to escalate the 56K standard or
> provide for dual X2/K56Flex support in the interim. The vendors may say it
> doesn't make sense from a technical standpoint, but it sure makes a lot of
> sense to consumers who are choosing with their wallets. As a business, we
> try to give our customers what they want and it's frustrating when you
> can't. In the meantime, for our customers who have modems that's
> upgradable to X2, they would either have to buy a new K56Flex modem or
> wait for 56K to stay with us or leave for an X2 provider. Or we can invest
> in USR TC to keep our USR/X2 customers. Every USR TC sold also means a
> potential PM3(We are Livingston biased) loss. From a network vendor
> standpoint, does it really matter whether the PM3 supports X2 or K56Flex?
> I kinda doubt it. Let the customer(ISP) decide. Bay Networks have done it
> and I would love to see Livingston support both X2 and K56Flex. So
> regardless of whether the ISP chooses X2 or K56Flex, Livingston still
> sells PM3s.
>
> I would like to hear feedback on how other ISPs are dealing with this
> current dilemna. And it doesn't with the patent and legal dispute over the
> current ITU 56K standard.
>
> Regards,
>
> Turnando Fuad
> NSNet
>