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Sprint CEO at CTIA: Mobile has direct, powerful impact on efficiency, productivity

SAN DIEGO ? During his keynote address, Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint Nextel Corp., discussed how mobile is helping change the healthcare and wireless industry, as well as the environment for the better.

Mr. Hesse spoke during the ?Return of the Titans ? Carrier Insights? keynote session. Ralph de la Vega, president/CEO of AT&T Mobility and Dan Mead, president/CEO of Verizon Wireless were also keynote speakers.

?Our industry can help get our economy on track,? Mr. Hesse said. ?Mobile has a direct and powerful impact on efficiency, productivity and economic performance.

?This has been the year of 4G in the United States and wireless technology has facilitated wireless change,? he said.

Mobile industry
Mr. Hesse discussed how the wireless and mobile industry have the potential to significantly reduce costs in healthcare.

Additionally, the executive said that by 2015, 500 million users will be using a healthcare application.

?While these apps clearly deliver an economical benefit, they also deliver an environmental benefit,? Mr. Hesse said.

?As an industry, our environmental success has just been tremendous,? he said.

Mr. Hesse discussed how many wireless manufacturers and other companies are going green and increasingly becoming environmentally friendly.

In April, AT&T, and Verizon joined forces with FedEx, PepsiCo and UPS for the National Clean Fleets partnership.

The partnership is intended to help large companies reduce diesel and gasoline use in their fleets by incorporating electric vehicles, alternative fuels and fuel-saving measures into their daily operations.

?Wireless manufacturers are also providing environmental designs of their devices,? Mr. Hesse said.

The executive also addressed the importance of not driving and texting at the same time.

?As an industry, we?re creating new technologies to make driving safer,? Mr. Hesse said. ?This is a wonderful time for all of us in the wireless industry to make a positive change in our world.

?I believe with the wireless advances on the horizon, the best days are ahead,? he said.

Mobile revolution
Last year, AT&T?s Mr. Vega said the mobile revolution is here.

?Today we really crossed the threshold,? Mr. Vega said. ?Mobile apps continue to multiply exponentially.

?It?s unbelievable what?s happening,? he said. ?Mobile devices and networks continue to proliferate and become more powerful.

?It?s clear that collaboration is the key to ongoing innovation.?

According to Mr. Vega, social media plays a big role in the mobile space.

?Today?s social media allows and encourages new ideas to be shared,? Mr. Vega said. ?Collaboration has become a new and important source of competitive advantage.

?In our industry, the driving force will be collaboration,? he said.

Additionally, Mr. Vega said that the industry does face some challenges.

?In this world, we?re rethinking the way that we do business,? Mr. Vega said. ?We can?t wait for innovation to come to us, we have to go to where it is.

Changes
According to Verizon?s Mr. Mead, the industry had a very exciting future.

?We are just at the beginning,? Mr. Mead said. ?Innovation is going to come from our companies, customers, employees, students and others.

?Our industry has been a stunning success of vibrant growth of innovation,? he said. ?Collaboration has played and will play a big role in success.

?Let?s embrace the ideas that service our customers, engage our employees, but also improve the planet.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York