Thoughts On UMA

Stacey Higginbotham, one of the newer bright lights at GigaOm has a short piece about the possible death watch about UMA.

For me, UMA, FMC (fixed mobile convergence) and VCC (virtual call continuity) are all about proving what people want:

1. One number

2. Two services that appear as the same-mobile phone, WiFi phone

3. Seamless connectivity-mobile, WiFi location, home

The recent introduction of two city trial by T-Mobile 10 dollar a month home service, dubbed TalkForver, and their expanded efforts around HotSpot@Home complete with a very funny video campaign around a very pimped up Jimmy and a pimped out "house."

I've been using my T-Mobile Blackberry Curve, as well as client Truphone equipped Nokia N and E series phones for some time. The automatic log on to my travel router is one of the key benefits when I'm on the road, that and being able to make International calls back home for no additional cost. The phone also rings, but as long as I'm on the Hotspot, there's no additional charge.

I don't see the concept of dual mode telephony going away, but UMA may not make the overall cut. Other than Orange's UNIK service and what T-Mobile is doing in various markets under different names, I've yet to many carriers embrace UMA, over FMC, putting me squarely in Stacey corner of watchful eye status on the first mover, who may run out of steam, while the less widely installed FMC plays, like what Counterpath is up to with the acquisition of BridgePort Networks and First Hand or others see as the real down the road success opportunity.