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Live from Rogers TabLife TO: CMO declares tablets dashboards of tomorrow
December 3rd, 2010 a 9:55am
We’re big believers in the future of tablets.
Today at Rogers TabLife TO, we unveiled a series of initiatives to help our tablet customers get the most out of their devices, including a Remote PVR designed for tablets.
We’ve also developed data sharing plans for tablets and will introduce a tablet-friendly version of Rogers on Demand Online early next year, John Boynton, Rogers executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said this morning in a keynote speech.
Boynton told the conference:
“Tablets are the dashboards for the highways of tomorrow. They are the command centres of the future…I can tell you about a service we’re working on that allows you to remotely control your home devices. Starting in 2011, you will be able to set your home PVR using your tablet. This means that while sitting in a restaurant you can choose what movie you want to watch. You’ll never have to worry about missing the first period of a Leafs game.”
He added that Rogers is committed to data plans that allow our customers to move between their devices easily, seamlessly and reliably.
“Instead of separate plans, people can buy a combined plan that is less expensive and now share their data across the devices they want. Data sharing is important because tablets will not replace smartphones. Tablets will be companion devices to smartphones providing instantaneous connections on a bigger screen wherever you are.”
We created Rogers TabLife TO to explore ways tablets are changing how we live, work and play. You can learn more about today’s event at tablife.ca. And, we’ll have full coverage of Rogers TabLife TO here on RedBoard early next week.
Rogers Tablet Touchpoint 2010
Alongside the event, we worked with The Strategic Counsel on research related to attitudes, behaviours and impacts of tablet use in Canada. Key findings of the Rogers Tablet Touchpoint 2010 include:
- 69 per cent of tablet users take their tablet everywhere they go
- 58 per cent of tablet users say their tablet is typically the first device they turn on in the morning
- 44 per cent of tablet users say they would rather give up their desktop or PC than their tablet.
- 63 per cent of owners use their tablets for work at least some of the time
- Almost 60 per cent of those do not own a tablet agree that tablets will transform the way we live, work and play
- 42 per cent say they plan to purchase a tablet within the next year.
You can see the detailed survey results here:
Want to win a tablet?
Coinciding with Rogers TabLife TO, we’re running a national contest where we’ll be giving away a Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab. To enter, all you have to do is tweet how a tablet could change your life for the better along with the hashtag #TabLife. For more details, check out @RogersBuzz on Twitter.
Keith McArthur is senior director of Social Media at Rogers
Update (December 3, 6:00 PM): As a preview of next week’s wrap-up post, below you’ll find photos from Rogers TabLife TO as well as the keynote speech from John Boynton entitled “Tablets in a Connected World.” We’ll have more videos here on RedBoard soon, including the sneak-preview demo of the new BlackBerry Playbook tablet with RIM’s David Neale.
Update (December 6, 10:20 AM): Below Research In Motion’s David Neale talks to Marc Saltzman about the soon-to-launch BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and what’s next for the tablet space in 2011. Neale demos a prototype device, including a hands-on with the user interface, HD video and camera functionality.
Tags: iPhone 4 launches tomorrow on Rogers
July 29th, 2010 a 1:35pm
We’re excited to share some news about how our customers can upgrade to iPhone 4 which launches tomorrow. As the Canadian carrier with the most iPhone customers and experience, we’re making a commitment to allocate the majority of inventory we receive from Apple to existing customers wanting to upgrade to the iPhone 4.
And while we can’t do this every year, we’re excited to announce a special upgrade offer that gives our iPhone customers the chance to get an iPhone 4 at a discounted price until September 30, 2010.
Rogers customers have the flexibility to upgrade to any new device at any time by paying full price for the device. However, as a benefit of being a Rogers customer, we’re investing in a special iPhone 4 hardware upgrade offer to reward our customers for doing business with us, as long as they activated a Rogers iPhone on a term contract on or prior to June 7, 2010 – the day Apple announced iPhone 4 at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Here are the general guidelines about the iPhone 4 special hardware upgrade:
Did you activate or upgrade your Rogers iPhone on a term contract between January 1, 2009 and June 7, 2010?
Then you’re eligible for at least $250 off the no-term device price. That’s an iPhone 4 16GB/32GB for $399/$499 on a new 3-year voice and data plan.
Did you activate or upgrade your Rogers iPhone on a term contract on or before December 31, 2008?
Thank you for your business. You’re eligible for at least $480 off the no-term device price. You can pick up an iPhone 4 16GB/32GB for $159/$269 on a new 3-year voice and data plan.
Did you activate or upgrade the original Rogers iPhone 3G in 2008 and then upgrade again to the Rogers iPhone 3GS between June 19 and September 15, 2009?
You’re also eligible for at least $480 off the no-term device price. You can pick up an iPhone 4 16GB/32GB for $159/$269 on a new 3-year voice and data plan.
How do I check my eligibility for this special iPhone 4 hardware upgrade program?
The easiest way for you to check your hardware upgrade eligibility is through www.rogers.com/iPhone. (UPDATE July 29, 2010, 3:13 PM: We are experiencing technical difficulties with our HUP eligibility tool and it may be giving incorrect results. We’re aware of it and are working on it. While we do, the tool may be temporarily unavailable. Thanks for your patience. UPDATE August 16, 2010 11:20 AM: The technical difficulties are resolved and the tool is working correctly.) Aside from this special iPhone 4 offer, regular hardware upgrade program policies apply. If you take advantage of this early hardware upgrade offer, your new 3-year term will begin immediately. Savings under this special upgrade program are determined based upon the length of time remaining in your existing term and the specifics of your selected plans.
Any news for new iPhone 4 customers?
New customers can purchase a 16GB iPhone 4 for $159 or a 32GB iPhone 4 for $269, each with a new three-year voice and data plan on Canada’s proven and reliable network. With Rogers, you get unlimited access to Rogers WiFi hotspots for free as well as unlimited social networking to the top seven communities in all iPhone data plans and our Handset Protection Gurantee. The Handset Protection Guarantee is subject to terms and conditions. To read the full program terms, go to http://www.rogers.com/protection.
What about Fido customers?
Fido also has a special iPhone 4 promotion for its customers. For customers who entered into a Fido agreement on or before June 7, 2010 and want to upgrade early to iPhone 4, Fido will provide a special iPhone 4 discount by way of a bill credit of between $250 and $490. In addition, customers may contribute all accumulated FidoDollars towards their upgrade. Go to www.fido.ca/iphone for full details.
How to get your iPhone 4
Worldwide demand for the iPhone has been high and quantities are limited. At launch, the iPhone 4 will only be available at Rogers stores and authorized retailers, and not by Customer Care or Rogers.com. We recommend you contact your local Rogers retailer to confirm units are in stock. Our goal is to get an iPhone 4 into the hands of every customer who wants one, so visit www.rogers.com/iphone to find updates about stock levels.
Data on data
Here’s an overview of some great new and in-market plans that will get you up and running with your iPhone 4.
Return of special smartphone $30/6 GB plan
Effective July 30, and as a limited time promotional offer for smartphone customers who activate on a three-year contract, Rogers is offering 6GB of data for $30. This data plan can be added to any in-market voice plan before September 30, 2010.
Share with your family
Now that you’ve upgraded to iPhone 4, what do you do with your 3GS? Pass it on through our Family Share Plans and share minutes, messaging and data. Starting August 4, add additional voice and data lines for just $25 per month (plus Government Regulatory Recovery Fee) on a three-year term for up to five people!
*New* smartphone and iPad sharing plans
You’ve told us you love our in-market iPad plans and the ease of activation on Rogers – but some of you have asked for device sharing and we’ve listened. Starting July 30, and for a limited time until Sept. 30, customers on a 6 GB plan will be able to share data between iPhones and iPads for an extra $20 (plus Government Regulatory Recovery Fee). For details, visit a Rogers retail location.
We’ll also try to answer as many questions as we can in the comments below. We recommend that you do not call our Customer Care representatives as they have no additional information and will not be able to process your hardware upgrade at this time.
UPDATE (July 31, 10:18 PM) Rogers is committed to getting an iPhone 4 into the hands of every customer who wants one. We regret to say that for the time being, Rogers retail outlets are sold out of the device. We expect to receive regular shipments of iPhone 4 from Apple over the coming weeks and will update this site once we have more stock.
UPDATE (August 6, 2010, 8:58 AM 2:45 PM) Rogers is receiving a new shipment of iPhone 4, which will be available in limited supply in some retail locations starting on Monday, August 9 Saturday, August 7. In the meantime, Apple retail stores may have inventory available for both new customers and existing Rogers customers upgrading to iPhone 4.
UPDATE (August 9, 2010, 1:05 PM) Hi everyone. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused this past weekend as many of you expected iPhone 4 to be back in stock at our stores. In an effort to get devices available as soon as possible, we are expediting all shipments to stores outside our normal process. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication on Friday and stock was not available as expected on Saturday.
We are trying to be as transparent as possible and provide you with timely information. Obviously, this isn’t a perfect process and we appreciate your patience. Stock that was en route Friday will be arriving in some stores today. Additional inventory will be arriving throughout the week. Due to high demand and limited quantities, we strongly recommend that you call ahead to ensure that iPhones are in stock.
UPDATE (August 12, 2010, 12:25 PM) We have more news for you on iPhone 4 availability. We regret to say that Rogers retail outlets have sold out of iPhone 4s. The good news is that we expect more stock to start appearing in stores later this week, most being on shelves by Saturday.
As before, inventory remains limited so we recommend you contact your local store to confirm units are available. In the meantime, Apple retail stores may have iPhone 4s in stock.
Rogers remains committed to getting an iPhone 4 into the hands of every customer who wants one. We’re reading each and every of your comments on this post and will respond with whatever information we can.
Are these updates useful to you? Please let us know in the comments below.
UPDATE (August 14, 2010, 3:00 PM) The latest round of iPhone 4 stock at Rogers stores is once again sold out. We’re receiving regular shipments from Apple, so we’ll update this post again once more stock is available. Until then, you may want to check Apple retail stores to see if iPhone 4s are in stock.
UPDATE (August 19, 2010, 11:45 AM) A limited number of iPhone 4s have started to arrive at Rogers retail locations. Considering the limited inventory, we recommend you contact your local store to confirm units are available. In addition, Apple retail locations may have stock.
UPDATE (August 21, 2010, 1:30 PM) iPhone 4 stock at Rogers stores has sold out. Regular shipments are coming in from Apple, so we’ll update this post again once more stock is available. In the meantime, you may want to check Apple retail stores to see if iPhone 4s are in stock.
UPDATE (August 25, 2010, 4:15 PM) A limited number of iPhone 4s have again started to arrive at Rogers retail locations. Considering the limited inventory, we recommend you contact your local store to confirm units are available. In addition, Apple retail locations may have stock.
UPDATE (August 29, 2010, 7:31 PM) iPhone 4 stock at Rogers stores has sold out. Regular shipments are coming in from Apple, so we’ll update this post again once more stock is available. In the meantime, you may want to check Apple retail stores to see if iPhone 4s are in stock.
UPDATE (September 1, 2010, 3:11 PM) A limited number of iPhone 4s have again started to arrive at Rogers retail locations. Considering the limited inventory, we recommend you contact your local store to confirm units are available. In addition, Apple retail locations may have stock.
UPDATE (September 3, 2010, 4:39 PM): iPhone 4 stock at Rogers stores has sold out. Regular shipments are coming in from Apple, so we’ll update this post again once more stock is available. In the meantime, you may want to check Apple retail stores to see if iPhone 4s are in stock.
UPDATE (September 10, 2010, 2:33 PM): This week, inventory of iPhone 4s was more limited than previous shipments. As a result, it sold out immediately in most cases. An Apple retail location may have stock.
UPDATE (September 16, 2010, 5:15 PM): A limited number of iPhone 4s have again started to arrive at Rogers retail locations. As in past weeks, they will likely sell out quickly. We expect to get new shipments in store each week. As shipments will be consistent on a weekly basis, we will no longer be updating this post. If you’d like to check iPhone stock near you, please contact a Rogers or Apple retail location.
UPDATE (September 29, 2010, 1:43 PM): Good news for those of you who have been unable to secure an iPhone 4: another shipment is starting to arrive in stores today.
We encourage you to head down to a Rogers retailer to pick one up over the next 24 hours or so. As always, we recommend you contact your local store first to ensure stock is available.
Our goal is to get an iPhone 4 to every customer who wants one.
UPDATE (September 30, 2010, 2:35 PM): An update on Rogers/Fido iPhone 4 promotions.
When Rogers/Fido launched the iPhone 4 on July 30, we announced special offers for our new and existing customers. Since then, we have activated a significant number of devices with 80 per cent having gone to our existing customers. These special offers were scheduled to expire on Sept. 30, but we have some good news to share.
First, we are extending the 6GB/$30 promotion until Oct. 5. Second, we are extending one component of our early Hardware Upgrade offer through the end of the year. Any customer who activated or upgraded an earlier version of the iPhone with Rogers/Fido on a term contract on or before December 31, 2008 will continue to be eligible for at least $480 off the no-term device price when they upgrade to an iPhone 4. They can pick up an iPhone 4 16GB/32GB for $159/$269 on a new 3-year voice and data plan.
While other components of our special iPhone 4 early HUP offer expire today, Rogers and Fido customers can continue to take advantage of our standard hardware upgrade savings. Fido customers can also add their Fido dollars to their Hardware Upgrade for additional savings.
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
Tags: Rogers iPhone 4 Update
June 7th, 2010 a 4:43pm
Rogers intends to launch iPhone 4, the thinnest smartphone in the world with the highest resolution display ever built into a phone, in Canada in the coming weeks.
As this is a brand new device – just announced today – we’re not ready to talk about release date or pricing just yet. We’ll announce the details here at the same time as our dealers and Care reps get them, so check back on RedBoard to learn more.
You can also sign up at rogers.com/iphone for e-mail alerts about iPhone 4. For more information on iPhone 4 please visit apple.ca/iphone.
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
: Tags: iPad has arrived: Quick and easy activation with Rogers
May 28th, 2010 a 8:00am
The day has finally come: iPad’s much-anticipated Canadian launch.
If you’re like me, you’ll want to connect to 3G and use your iPad right away. That’s why we’ve worked hard to become one of the only carriers in the world certified by Apple to offer an innovative, on-device purchase flow. On other networks, activation could require a telephone call. But with Rogers, you can quickly, easily and securely activate your iPad on Canada’s reliable network in just a few touch-screen taps.
This also makes it easy to put your data plan on hold during months when you don’t need it. No separate apps required; no phone calls in to a customer-service rep. We believe we’re the only carrier in Canada to offer this innovative on-device activation.
As such, we wanted to pass along some key information should you have a shiny new 3G iPad device in your hand – or if you’re considering buying one.
How to activate on the Rogers network:
- (Updated May 28, 4:50 pm) Make sure your Micro SIM card is inserted into the device, plug the iPad into an Internet-connected computer, and update to the latest version of iTunes and connect to iTunes to update your iPad with the settings for the Rogers network.
- On the iPad, click the Settings icon.
- On the Cellular Data tab, touch View Account.
- Enter your user and login information (screen shot above), then select your plan. A check mark will appear beside your selection.
- Enter your payment and billing information. You can subscribe to the plans by pre-paying via Visa, MasterCard or American Express.
- After reading and agreeing to all Terms of Service, review the payment summary screen and click Submit to complete
- An email and alert will then be sent to you confirming the transaction and your data plan will take effect in a few minutes.
- (Updated May 28, 4:50 pm) Once you get an alert on your iPad saying “Data Plan Activated”(screen shot below) you can start using your Rogers cellular data plan immediately.
Managing your account:
- On the iPad, click the Settings icon
- On the Cellular Data tab, touch View Account.
- After logging in, you can see your data usage, status left on your data account and your billing period dates. Here is where you can also add or change your data plan and edit your payment information.
- If you want to cancel your account, select Cancel Plan and Delete Account Later from the Add/Change Data Plan screen. If you choose to do so, your credit card will no longer be billed but your account will remain active if you want to add a plan within the next 6 months. (If you wait longer than 6 months, you’ll need to get another Micro SIM card to reactivate).
More details on data:
- To help you manage your data usage, you will receive a notification on your iPad when you have 20 per cent, 10 per cent and 0 data left of your usage limit. (Alternatively, you can view your data usage by going to the account overview page).
- Our data plans are “stacked,” meaning that when you purchase more data, any unused existing megabytes will be moved (or “stacked”) onto the new plan as long as it’s within the original 30-day purchase window. For example, if you have 150MB remaining on your plan and decide to buy another 250MB, your new 30-day billing cycle won’t be restarted until that 150MB has been used. (However, if your 150 MB has not been used by the end of the original 30 days, the new plan will automatically start at day No. 31 with 250MB).
- Your iPad’s Micro SIM card must say “Preactivated” in order to function on the Rogers 3G network. You can get a card at Rogers retail stores and authorized re-sellers of Rogers products. For a complete list, check out www.rogers.com/ipad.
Available plans:
We offer two data plans for the iPad – both of which are available without a term contract and include free unlimited access to all Rogers WiFi Hot Spots.
- 250 MB for $15
- 5 GB for $35
Taxes are extra but there are no other charges.
As we confirmed in the comments section of our May 10th post, we have been working on adding data-sharing plans that would allow customers to extend an existing data plan to share with an iPad.
Internationally, data sharing plans are not widely available for the iPad. But we’ve always been proponents of sharing plans, from sharing plans for family members to co-workers. We know many of you are interested in our data sharing options for iPad. They’re not available at this time, but we’ll share more details when we can.
Will you be buying an iPad? What excites you most about the device?
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
Tags: Rogers Announces Data Plans for iPad in Canada
May 10th, 2010 a 10:58am
Apple fans are passionate about Apple products. We know because we’re among them.
Rogers introduced the iPhone to Canada in 2008 and we were the first Canadian carrier to announce that we’ll carry the iPad. Now we’re thrilled to say it’s available for pre-order today at www.apple.com/ca/ipad and is set to launch on May 28.
We have a long-standing, strong working relationship with Apple and we think our years of experience will benefit Canadian iPad customers.
All iPad data plans will be available without a term contract, providing the freedom to activate or cancel a plan at any time. Rogers customers purchasing the iPad will be able to take advantage of the new iPad data plans to enjoy the device’s full suite of capabilities, backed by the reliability of Rogers’ proven network.
Here are the pricing options we’re making available to future iPad customers:
- 250 MB for $15 + WiFi (Includes free unlimited access to all Rogers WiFi Hot Spots)
- 5 GB for $35 + WiFi (Includes free unlimited access to all Rogers WiFi Hot Spots)
Customer experience shows that our 250mb/5GB plans will be more than enough for virtually all our customers. 99.8 per cent of our iPhone customers use less than 5GB of data. As the tablet is a new category, it’s too early to say if customers will use more or less data than they do for iPhone. But even for our rocket stick/embedded laptop customers, 95.6 per cent use less than 5GB per month.
Visit www.rogers.com/iPad for full details on these plans. As always, we’ll keep you posted right here.
Note the iPad will not be available on the Fido brand at launch.
Much has been said about the tablet being an important new product category. More importantly, you now have more options than ever before to communicate, to be informed and to be entertained wherever, whenever you desire.
Excited yet? We are. And we’d like you to activate your iPad with Rogers.
Will you be buying an iPad? Why or why not?
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
Tags: The Future is Here: Next is Now
April 29th, 2010 a 11:30am
“Technology is reshaping the world around us,” our president and CEO Nadir Mohamed told our shareholders at today’s annual general meeting. “How we live and how we work is changing rapidly.”
To show how excited we are about this change at Rogers, we launched a video at our shareholders meeting called “Next is Now.” The video features some of the coolest stats and facts we could find about the changing world of communications technology, set to music by Canadian band Young Galaxy.
In his speech, Nadir Mohamed said Rogers’ goal in a connected world is to become the destination for Canadians amid this rapid change.
“We will define our future around connected experiences. Increasingly customers are buying based on brand, not product. They’re buying into companies that will offer seamless delivery of customer-driven experiences in a connected world.”
Let us know what you think of the video.
UPDATE (May 16, 2012, 6:35 p.m): Next is Now has a sequel: Next is Now … More than Ever. In this video, we look at statistics that speak to how much Canadians value the Internet. More than chocolate? Coffee? Water? Watch the video to find out. It also includes stats around smart appliances, the development of the dual-screen experience with TVs and tablets, smartphone usage, digital wallets, and the impact the Internet is having on health, government, education, and shopping.
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
Tags: iPad comes to Canada: Rogers to offer plans from end of May
April 14th, 2010 a 9:49am
Rogers today announced that it will offer iPad price plans for all models from the end of May in Canada.
The iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface.
For more information about iPad please visit http://www.apple.ca/ipad
We will share more details soon.
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
ROTFL: Rogers on the floor laughing
April 1st, 2010 a 10:33am
We’ve been punk’d by our friends in the blogosphere.
While we don’t usually comment on rumours or speculation, we wanted to take the opportunity to point out that it is April 1 and that there is no Billy Thorton on the Social Media team.
Yours in comedy,
The RedBoard team
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
: Let’s talk: Rogers unwraps RedBoard blog
March 2nd, 2010 a 11:02am
You’ve been talking about us.
We’ve been listening. And we’ve been learning about what you like – and don’t like – about our products and services and policies.
We’ve been finding our voice in these online conversations – joining in on discussion forums, leaving comments on blogs, answering your questions through the @RogersHelps Twitter account and telling you about the latest Rogers news through the @RogersBuzz account.
Today we’re excited to launch a new forum for these conversations. RedBoard will be a place where we can talk about our vision, explain our services and policies and geek out about the latest new technology. Our goal is to keep jargon to a minimum and to focus on providing useful information, interviews with decision makers and answers to your questions.
But this won’t work if it’s a monologue. The name RedBoard is a metaphor for whiteboards used for collaboration. We want to hear from you – the good feedback and the bad. The best way is to leave a comment on a relevant blog post. You can check out our comment policy here or find other ways to reach us on the Talk to Us page.
So what do you think? What would you like to hear about in a customer-focused Rogers blog?
Keith McArthur is Senior Director of Social Media at Rogers.
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