Amazon’s Kindle may soon be just another electronic reader among a handful of choices on Verizon Wireless. In an interview with Reuters just ahead of CES, Verizon exec Tony Lewis, who runs a program to help third-party vendors get their products certified to work on the operator’s networks, said he expected Kindle rivals to launch in 2009, though he declined to specify who these competitors might be.
Supporting electronic readers is part of Verizon’s Open Development program started last year, in which the operator said it would support independent devices sold by vendors other than itself.
Emphasis added by me.
There's more. It's a short item, and I've already quoted more than I'm comfortable doing under Fair Use. So go see the rest at the link.
Sony has global cellphone experience via its Sony-Ericcson joint venture.
I'm certain that Steve Haber's desire for the Sony Reader to be an open platform would extend to openness towards cellphone networks too. Although this story highlights Verizon, I'm certain a wireless Sony Reader would also work with T-Mobile, AT&T, or Sprint. It might not happen all at once at the launch, but it would just take one network to agree and the rest would fall in line to get their share of the pie too.
Also, a wireless Sony Reader would be the first such device to work worldwide, on any cellphone network anywhere.
ePub and ubiquitous wireless coverage would be an unbeatable combination.
Update: Mike Elgan chimes in with some thoughts.
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