Where you could once search via the web using the search box and select search engines such as Google, Dictionary.com, Wikipedia etc.  You now only have one choice – Microsoft’s Bing search engine.

Why?

I think that the $500 million dollar reason that is being reported is probably the driving force.  Although giving their customer’s a lack of choice from a phone company is nothing new, back in January earlier this year, according to an official Bing blogpost, “Verizon Wireless subscribers in the U.S. will be able to use Live Search on their mobile devices to find information on local business and shopping information, access maps and directions, find ringtones and other mobile products and services. This partnership will give Verizon Wireless customers great search results and provide targeted, relevant mobile advertising to enhance the overall mobile computing experience.”

So it seems that not only will the choices be limited on the Storm 2, but other Blackberry devices and smartphones will also be changed if operated on Verizon’s network.

It would seem illogical to infuriate a user base by doing something like this, but this gives me the opportunity to point out a couple of things we’ve warned our clients about from time to time:

1.  Your carrier (teleco, cellco, cableco etc) will work to create deals that serve their primary interests alone because they still believe you will not be outraged enough to do anything about it.  While a seemingly unsubstantial change such as changing the search engine you can use on a Blackberry may seem slight, the major constructs of the plans you can choose from, hidden fees that they charge, how they operate their network receive less attention at times.  Because it is easy to confuse and dilute what a carrier does to your service without great outrage, they continue to do it.  It is the small minority that actually take the time to really understand their services that can control the phone companies, rather than the other way around.

2.  You should NEVER trust that everything works smoothly to your providers and give them carte blache over the money you give them.  We’re in the process right now of finishing up some work for a client of ours that HAD great trust in their telecom companies that provide them service.  After 3 months of work we have concluded that they are currently paying redundant fees, their billing contains multiple errors and that new plans introduced by the carriers over the years had their sales rep actually worked on their behalf would have saved them substantial money throughout their time with their carriers.  The most shocking thing about this was how surprised they were to learn about this.  We are aware of the phone companies practices and none of this was surprising to us.

If you think that this small change is tough to swallow – you haven’t even STARTED to learn about what your carrier is really doing to you!  If you haven’t torn apart your bills, and TRULY taken a microscope to your services – now is the time!