[guide.chat] Forwarded Email: Accessible Devices Wayfinder Access Protest Petition

"elaine nutley" <e.nutley@xxxxxxx> · Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:08:12 +0100


-----Original Message-----
From: Accessible Devices - Email Address: parker2745@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 28/03/2010 17:17
Sent To: Accessible Devices List - Email Address: A-d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Accessible Devices Wayfinder Access Protest Petition

We are passing this along in case some of you may wish to participate.
Dear all,
You recently signed the Wayfinder Access Protest petition, expressing
your support for our campaign to save or provide a comparable
alternative to this GPS navigation solution which enables thousands
of blind pedestrians to find their way and was unexpectedly
discontinued by Vodafone.
Firstly we would like to thank you for your signature. Thanks to your
efforts in signing and promoting our campaignwe are at over 2000
signatures, a great accomplishment! Vodafone acknowledged our
campaign and negotiations are ongoing, more on that below.
To strengthen the voice of blind GPS users and ensure Wayfinder
Access remains usable by it's current users for some time, we need
your ongoing help to increase the number of signatures more than
ever! So if you haven't done so, please send the link to our site,
<
http://www.talknav.com/protest
>www.talknav.com/protest, to your
family, friends and other acquaintances! It's also very important
that media and blindness related organisations in all countries learn
about our campaign, so please send them the link as well!
In the international signature number competition it's getting really
interesting... most signers are from the UK, congratulations you've
passed the US! But don't sit back... I'm sure you Americans will make
sure you get it bigger again! Below the US Germany has finally passed
the Netherlands, congratulations but just as on the football field
the Dutch will no doubt score a lot of signatures soon to beat
Germany! 5 South Africa / 7 India, you are hit hardest by WFA's
discontinuation because there is absolutely no alternative in your
countries, so please make sure to show this in your signature count -
you're both under 100, I'm sure you can do better! 6 France is also
under 100... alors montez votre grandeur! And in all those countries
below 7th place there's a lot more potential as well... please get
signatures and get your country in the top 7 signature sources next time!
Future of the campaign
Due to the nature of the campaign and the progress that has been made
to date, a number of changes need to be made to our cause and what
exactly we are seeking from Vodafone. We originally set out with
three key goals:
1. To ask Vodafone why they cancelled Access without warning
2. To ask them for an assurance concerning existing license holders rights
3. To enquire as to the possibilities of a third party developer
taking over Access.
As we have been informed directly and through media releases by
Vodafone we now are able to answer some of these points and thus
change our strategy as follows.
Vodafone are pulling out of the Wayfinder service completely as a
result of market forces, with the advent of free vehicular navigation
solutions from the likes of Google and Nokia. Wayfinder which needs
considerable investment, just isn't a viable product range for Vodafone.
So this is why Access has been discontinued and is facing complete
shut down in the coming months. Vodafone cannot make a profit on the
overall Wayfinder platform that it runs on. So Access, to coin the
phrase, is the baby being thrown out with the bath water.
So this answers our point one, as to our other specific goals here is
where we now stand.
Wayfinder and Vodafone through direct conversation with us and media
discussions on BBC radio etc have confirmed their intentions to
shelve the entire Wayfinder product range. They stress that they are
sympathetic to our needs and concerns and state that they are working
towards potentially offering some sort of resolution package for
Wayfinder Access users.
What this translates into nearer to the time we cannot say for
certain. What we can tell you is that what is being discussed is;
A) A full or prorated refund to existing Wayfinder Access life-time
license holders,
B) To enter into some sort of exchange program, where Vodafone
exchanges Access licenses for an alternative accessible GPS product.
The details of this are very much up in the air and no commitment to
this has been given yet.
C) The possibility of providing a third party with the source code
and necessary information to take over the Access project.
D) Other options to which they'll not at this time discuss.
So we have now our goals 1 and 3 answered; Vodafone cannot make money
out of Wayfinder so it's being shut down, and they are considering at
this time permitting a third party organization to take over Access.
So what about goal 2; Vodafone have used plenty of lip service
towards this one, we've had assurances and more assurances, but what
this translates into down the road no-one knows. In today's
commercial environment phrases like "Social Responsibility" have
significant measure and with license holders having life-time rights
to Access Vodafone surely have both an ethical and legal obligation
towards Access users, but quite how far this translates into a
helpful resolution is yet to be seen.
So where does this leave our campaign?
Now more than ever it's essential that we keep signatures coming to
our campaign petition, we need to show Vodafone that this is a real
and believed in cause, and that by not acting there is a significant
risk of damage to their corporate image as well as legal ramifications.
We also want them to be certain that whatever solution they are
considering that we, the users, are kept informed and have a say. We
are aware, as Vodafone have informed us that they are talking with
multiple parties. We ask Vodafone to consider, as we are not told who
these parties are, please be sure to consider our views, the users.
If the other parties to whom they are discussing our product with get
to make a choice on our behalf this may prove not to be in our best interests.
For now the only thing we can do is keep the pressure on, so please
keep signing, ask all who you know to review our campaign and sign in
favour of accessible technology for all.
Regards,
the campaign team Neil Barnfather
Tim in 't Veld
Paul Hopkins
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[guide.chat] Forwarded Email: Accessible Devices Wayfinder Access Protest Petition

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