AT&T Inc will be targeting dog owners in its bid to capitalise on emerging devises that consumers can use themselves or on their pets.
A wireless dog collar, set to introduced this year, is among the plethora of new devices the telephone company hopes will catch on with US consumers.
The collar could send text messages or emails to the owner of a pet when it strays outside a certain area, or the device could allow continuous tracking of the pet, according to a report by Reuters.
Other gadgets include a pill box that uses a wireless connection to remind people to take their medicine, e-readers, a device that tracks product pallets for shipping companies, and entertainment systems for people riding in cars.
When all these are connected to other devices or the Internet, they will connect using AT&T’s network — meaning more revenue for the company. AT&T expects they will bring in about USD$1 billion in annual services revenue in about five years.
“We see opportunities in dogs, in pallets, in cars and how you take your pills,” Ralph de la Vega, the head of AT&T’s mobile business, said at the CTIA annual wireless trade show.
