Page 26 - Sphere No.8 (Mar 2003)

SPHERE
1224
C O V E R S T O R Y
HARDWARE HAVENS
W HEN 3 OPENED ITS FIRST
European flagship store in
Milan on December 13,
customers entered a world of cacti,
trickling water and plasma screens.
Hostesses eased style-conscious Italians
into luxurious chairs and put them lit-
erally “in the picture” with one-to-one
introductions to the videophones that let
them see and be seen.
Cities throughout Europe are littered
with mobile shops, but when it comes to
demonstrating the opportunities ahead
nothing compares with the 3Store
experience.
The environment is like no other – a
tantalising juxtaposition of rock and timber
against metal and microchips.
The new stores in Italy and the UK
resemble ultra-chic, minimalist art galleries
and are designed on the principles of Feng
Shui, the ancient Chinese philosophy of
harmonising and communicating with your
environment.
On entering a 3Store there’s excite-
ment in the air because this isn’t about
buying a commodity, it’s about buying into
a lifestyle.
While the 3Stores radiate boutique-
By Justin Quillinan
chic, attention quickly shifts from admiring
the decor to seeing what the technology
can do.
It’s crucial, of course, for prospective
customers to understand what 3 can do
for them. To this end, the company has
acted swiftly to create a small army of
experts. By the end of January more than
1,000 retail staff in the UK – both in
3Stores and third-party outlets – had
received training to explain and dem-
onstrate these powerful new handsets.
In Italy, more than 1,600 people had
received training.
“There is a real sense of discovery for
customers,” said a staff member at the
Milanese store, which is located just a
block from the landmark Duomo
Cathedral.“They are amazed and engaged
and entertained … I don’t have to ‘sell’
anything, just show and teach.When they
see what 3 can do, they want to be part
of it.”
The 3Stores are structured to create a
route – an absorbing experience in
which the three families of services –
information, communication and enter-
tainment – are emphasised as the
customer proceeds.
By New Year 2003, the tide of media scepticism was
beginning to turn:“3G is alive and well,” Mobile News reported.
“During a recent visit to the out-of-town offices of 3 we saw live
person-to-person video,TV news broadcasts over a mobile link
and Premiership goal replays. It was impressive.The handsets are
more than watchable and at the same time are ‘approachable’
pieces of technology. Having seen the devices working ... we are
less sceptical.”
In February, Bruno Giussani a Zurich-based journalist and
the author of Roam: Making Sense of theWireless Internet, reported:
”I travelled to Milan, bringing along a lot of scepticism fed by
years of wireless hype. I spent an afternoon at Hutchison, spoke
with many people, asked questions, made video-calls using their
handsets.And got back to my hotel that evening thinking that if
someone has a chance to make 3G work in the near future in
Europe, it’s 3.”
Dow Jones also saw significant upside.After testing the system
in Milan and London, the newswire service posed the question:
“Will 3G sell?”The conclusion:“A resounding maybe.”
To ensure 3G does sell, Hutchison is committed to delivering
an experience that is simple, useful and enjoyable.
It’s not the underlying scientific wizardry of 3G that impresses
but the seemingly magical delivery of a vastly superior, more
flexible and more varied mobile multimedia experience.
“It is clear that 3 doesn’t offer just another telephone,”
observed the Italian daily La Stampa. “It wants to present itself
as an innovator that can be attractive also from a cultural point
of view.”
The proposition is reflected in the uncomplicated 3 branding.
As an entirely new product, 3 aims to make life more colourful,
more convenient and more fun in a world where usefulness and
entertainment are not alternatives. The complex technology is
simply what makes it all work.
By March, leading UK consumer magazine Stuff featured 3
in its cover story. “We’ve seen 3G and it is amazing,” Stuff
enthused.“This is the hottest new technology in ten years.”
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
There are compelling reasons to believe Hutchison’s business plan
will confound the sceptics and succeed.
In terms of both infrastructure and content, 3 is already way
ahead of the curve.
It has moved very quickly to secure prime licences, build
networks, establish the IT enterprise architecture, collaborate
with manufacturers to develop handsets, form partnerships with
content providers, create the global brand 3 and prepare for