Disney Dumps Kid Tracking Service
I’ve been following the trend of mobile companies offering GPS tracking to families for a while now, starting with Sprint’s announcement of its service back in April, and Verizon’s launch of its “chaperone service.” Now it looks like competition is heating up in that market, as I just came across the first announcement I’ve seen of a company getting out of the business. Disney is dropping its mobile tracking service.
Disney has shelved plans to launch a mobile virtual network operator in the U.K., saying the market is in flux.
The media giant had been planning to launch its family friendly mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) this year, piggybacking on wireless provider O2’s network. Now Disney has changed its mind, putting the plan on ice indefinitely.
A Disney spokeswoman said the decision had been made as a result of “the rapidly changing competitive environment.”
“Retail distribution outlets in particular have consolidated in recent weeks, which has impacted our distribution opportunities,” she added.
Apparently, Disney’s experience with market saturation in the U.S. influenced its decision in the UK. But the company is keeping an eye on the market, and may revisit offering its tracking service to customers in the UK.
