In 2007, industry leaders gathered at Best Buy’s headquarters to discuss the future of connected laptops, predicting a significant market surge within 24 months. However, this prediction did not materialize, as connected laptops today hold less than one percent of the market.

T-Mobile tackled this challenge by engaging extensively with partners across the supply chain. Through research, workshops, and collaborations, two primary barriers were identified: cost and security.

Cost: Integrating 5G radios into laptops increased prices by $250-$400. Initial attempts to subsidize these costs were ineffective. Instead, partners suggested subsidizing at the point of distribution, aligning connected laptop prices with Wi-Fi-only models. T-Mobile adapted this approach, which was well-received by partners.

Security: Security was a major concern, with partners requesting a solution to safeguard connections. T-Mobile’s product team had already been developing T-SIM Secure, a SASE solution integrated with Versa. By adding this security feature as a bolt-on, T-Mobile addressed a critical need, significantly boosting partner enthusiasm.