Verizon Discontinues Verizon Hub Sorry Verizon, my iPhone does that... Back in January Verizon unveiled the "Verizon Hub," a multi-function unit built by Open Peak that integrated VoIP, mobile phone service, and a slew of features into a single touch screen broadband device. At the time, Verizon crowed that the unit's launch was "a dynamic move sure to rattle devotees of plain old home phones." Apparently, not so much. According to gadgeteer Dave Zatz Verizon today announced the death of the Hub, and Verizon was apparently part of the reason the unit didn't sell well: The Hub was designed to be both an Internet-connected widget station and serve as the household VoIP hub with a bit of PIM functionality thrown in to sweeten the deal. It probably wasn't the meh resistive touch screen that did it in but, rather and as I predicted, a failure of marketing and pricing. Requiring the Hub to be purchased solely via Verizon Wireless at $200 plus $35/month with a two year contract is pretty steep barrier to entry when introducing a new product category to the mainstream. Not only was the Hub's pricing unappealing, but early reviews of the unit also noted that most of the unit's features came with restrictions or caveats, like only being able to send text messages to Verizon phones, and a calendar and contact system that couldn't sync with either your phone or cloud services. Verizon has a habit of shooting usefulness in the foot (see their femtocell that saves Verizon tower capacity, yet mysteriously eats voice minutes). In addition to being expensive and packed with limitations engineered by Verizon, the Hub of course also came with Verizon's proud history of billing and support issues free in the box. Verizon also didn't appear to know what niche the device filled either, the Hub being way too pricey for a regular family facing a recession, and not really needed by higher-end customers who get all the intended functionality via desktops, laptops and smartphones.
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 | | really??? i'm shocked it seemed so..... cool? | |
|  | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | Re: really??? As cool as the internet refrigerator. | |
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| | Verizon Hub I tried the Verizon Hub using the 30 day trial. Fortunately I returned it within that time but still the monthly usage charges. I found it too limiting since I am only a Verizon broadband user when I travel and I couldn't send text messages to our Iphones on AT&T. Also, there are many cheaper VOIP providers if you need another phone line. In addition the device requires purchase of additional handsets costing $70 each. I am so glad I didn't get stuck,but it took 2 month for Verizon billing to correct my account, typical for Verizon who can't keep it straight. | |
| | KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | Re: Verizon Hub they should have designed it to work with their FiOS and be something to say hang where a wall phone goes in most kitchens. and let it fully interface with your FiOS services. id imagine marketing would be more solid if they marketed a device like this that could also tune TV and be the phone as well as hold data like planning and calender. say making an appointment could just punch it in, if getting a service call that isnt a services out type call the ticketing system could auto enter it into the device so it would auto remind the customer.
course i am just rambling ideas that would never work in the minds of current telecom execs.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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Asmodeus
join:2004-05-26
Spring Valley, CA | Control the content... and you end up freezing out your clientele. It's a dumb business model. Verizon could have really had a winner on their hands by opening it up and letting people use it as intended, not having it be so restricted. A friend of mine had one and we used to talk about it's feature set and he also did the 30 day trial and turned it back in because he didn't like the restrictive nature of it. Plus the cost was outrageous for what you got. | |
|  GbcueAlmost P.E.Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8 | Add Femtocell If they would have added a femtocell inside the Hub, it would be a super device. | |
| |  cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:5
 ·Frontier FiOS
| Re: Add Femtocell said by Gbcue:If they would have added a femtocell inside the Hub, it would be a super device. No, you'd have an even more expensive device that would still suck due to it's limitations. | |
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nonymousPremium
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ Reviews:
 ·Callcentric
| What does cost have to do with it? I mean we are in a technology revolution. Does anyone think it is free? I mean a cell bill of a few hundred a month should be reasonable. Then charge by the bit on whatever broadband connection you have.
This is not just tin cans. Silly people. You do not need lights or food just the Hub. It will take care of all of your needs. Verizon says so.
Think you may save a starving CEO or investor if you get this neat service.  Give until it hurts. | |
| |  MadnessLike a flea circus at a dog show
join:2000-01-05
Quincy, MA
kudos:1 | Re: What does cost have to do with it? No thanks, I'll just keep my landline & old Bell phone. | |
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| | Business as...usual? I cannot help but wonder if corporations are getting high on their own internal marketing. Seems to be commonplace anymore for a new product to be released with the expectation that it will sell itself. Why else would common sense decisions such as affordable price points, reasonable usability, and marketing support be almost completely absent? There appears to be an assumption that people will pay more for crippled functionality on a product they never heard of.
Sad part is when schemes like this fail repeatedly it is the consumer and the employees who ultimately pay for it, and not the big wigs sitting on top of the money pile. People lose their jobs so some dipshit at the top doesn't lose a few percentage as a result of poor decision making. | |
| | | Well.... Would have been a good product in 2004 | |
|  danclan
join:2005-11-01
Midlothian, VA | The HUB failed not due to lack of functionality but due to idiot tie back to verizons wireless. Many people could have used a nice touch screen phone in the kitchen even one with the ability to show TV and surf the internet.
I would have picked one if it was that functional and used my existing phone line and FIOS broadband service. Instead Verizon shot themselves squarely in both feet by tying the product to their cellular service.
I have a cell thanks, dont need my home phone to be cellular either. They further removed an arm or two with the upfront cost and monthly cost.
Too bad a nice touch screen multi function base phone that would do messaging, tv and internet with optional free standing hand sets really could have been a great seller. | |
| | | Verizon Hub I said all along this gadget would never fly. Apart from price even a stay at home mom couldn't be tethered to the "kitchen" all day long and to me that's what using this gadget required. | |
| | | tried it, it had too many bugs The device was very buggy, I had three units before sending it back and closing the account. It did sell contrary to the report in this news cast, I talked to three stores in the New Hampshire market that all said they could not keep the units in stock, that and the network extender both were a hit, and the network extender continues to be a hit. The issues with the hub was the software updating, clicky software glitches with the power supplying the unit in the handset, and speakerphone on the handset device. All in all the hub was a good device, I loved it, but only for the short bit while it worked. The factory default ring tones where good with a standard normal ring that I desired, however after about 20 minutes of the hub being online all those little ring tones change to a really strange set of "music tone" rings that were junk and you could hardly hear them.
The volume control seemed to lock up a bit, and you would have to do a full hardware reset to get the volume to work again.
I think the hub didn't have enough time in the labs for proper "debugging" thus with this market now, its too expensive for them to "take it back to the lab"...
Next time they should have enlisted the help of those beta testers that they have used in the past that this time they just did a dry launch on a hunch from the manufacture of the device and software. Oh well lessons learned. | |
| | | I still have mine •Screen will lock up on occasion. Can't make or receive calls. Screensaver is still active, handset is lit, yet the screen will not respond to touch. Have to power cycle it to get it back up.
•WiFi receiver is TRASH. Frequently claims it can't get connected even when the router is like 5 feet away.
•Speaking of the receiver, if you're actively using the internet, it interferes with the other end being able to hear you. On your end it's crystal clear, others will report that you're breaking up quite badly.
•Monthly price is steep. Considering what the phone offers, you could get away with a Google Voice account (which I do also have) and achieve the same objective.
•Required contract is a big negative.
•Not wall mountable.
I could go on and on - actually, I did, over on Epinions - but suffice it to say this device is out of its element. It might have shined like a decade ago, but as we move to smaller footprints, it just doesn't pass muster anymore. I only keep mine because of the contract - which assuming it's prorated should be out soon. | |
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