The company also recognizes that the benefits of an advertising blitz last fall are fading in people's memory. Initial sales have been delayed as a result. Some users say the quality of service is not as consistent as some land-based cellular systems. Edward F. Stoiano, Iridium's CEO, says Iridium can have 500,000 to 600,000 users by the end of the year if the problems are solved. That kind of growth from the 3,000 users Iridium had at the end of 1998 would mean profitability for the company by early 2000.
Iridium is in the enviable position of being the first to present the service.
Other similar projects, including Globalstar and ICO Global Communications, are still building their networks. Privacy Responding to fears raised by advocacy groups, Intel is modifying plans for its Pentium III chip. Whether an individual is showing a driver's license of handing over a credit card number, it always raises a privacy question. We have done things to address that. You have to weigh the positive value of having more secured Internet transactions, more secure electronic commerce, against any privacy concerns.