Eddie, don't lose our number

WSJ has an interesting interview with SBC's Ed Whitacre re: our topic du jour, convergence.

Despite an early-career negative experience with the esteemed Mr. Whitacre (I really didn't mean it when I called your PR flack a fascist pig!), I find myself in agreement with a lot of his thoughts on this matter. Personally, I really like it when he starts talking about a la carte cable channels.

I also like this, which echoes some of our thoughts on why 1999's silly sci-fi now starts to make some sense:

It's happening now because the technology is available to do it now, or getting there. It was impossible in the past. I had one of the first ones of these cellphones. It weighed 46 lbs. It was in a briefcase, with batteries, and you had to carry this thing around, almost break your arm. It's taken, I guess 12 or 13 years to get cellphones to a smaller size.

Landline and wireless are certainly melding together. More people have wireless phones, more people have broadband, they're on the Internet, they can get that at home, they can get that on the cellphone. Video is now a part of the equation.

A good example of convergence is something we have out there now called unified communications, where with one device you can get your e-mails, get your faxes, your messages -- either wireline or wireless messages -- just by calling one number. So, it's all converged

Hmm. I wonder where they'll get their local content?

Anyway, a techno-company luddite CEO who can still manage to download Steely Dan to his Ipod can't be all bad. Hey Ed, drop us a line!

I've seen your picture
Your name in lights above it
This is your big debut
It's like a dream come true
And when you smile for the camera
I know they're love it
I got your pin shot
I keep it with your letter
Done up in blueprint blue
It sure looks good on you
So won't you smile for the camera
I know I'll love you better
Peg
It will come back to you