Source: WiFi Net News
AT&T who upped their brand value with an exclusive deal
with the iPhone, is now locking up another addiction of the tech elites…Starbucks.
AT&T is now the WiFi provider for Starbucks in a deal that "turns
AT&T from "McDonald’s plus," with a relatively small footprint of
other locations, to a 17,000-location giant." AT&T
WiFi will rollout
to Starbucks starting next quarter. Starbucks card holders will get two hours
of free WiFi with no purchase necessary - even though we know you'll order that
half caf extra dry cappuccino anyway.
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Starbucks reverse jinx
It's about time! Starbucks had been conspicuously absent from the phenomenon of free public wifi, burdened with their early exclusive requiring T-Mobile's subscriptions.
You'll note they're not offering a Free hotspot. I think we can consider that to have been a passing phase (like commercial-free cable tv -- remember that?), especially now that a pair of market leaders have figured out a pricing structure.
But *now* just try to get a table there. "No room" just used to mean, I don't need room left for cream. They might miss those days of relatively few surfers camped out in their stores.
'Bucks better start hiring managers with experience as diplomats -- things could start getting rather snippy. In oft-quoted words of Yogi Berra, "No one goes there anymore; it's too crowded."
- Grande dark roast, no room, a packet of honey, and an outlet, please.
Posted by: Bill Ross | February 12, 2008 at 12:13 PM