New Order For Cellphone Charger Chaos?

If your company supports multiple models of cellphones and smartphones, you probably have to support an equal number of chargers. But the Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) promises an end to that annoying expense.In London this week, the OMTP and the USB Implementers Forum agreed on a recommendation paper specifying a common charger connection for all cellphones. The micro-USB port is thinner than the common mini-USB, but would also let users charge their phones from their computers.

Those little chargers are a big deal for me. In my household, we charge all of our personal and business devices at home -- and it's created quite the spaghetti factory and filled up an impressive -- but ugly --collection of powerstrips. Being able to ditch all that for a couple of universal chargers would be a huge improvement.

Of course, we're still a long way away from a universally respected standard, as many manufacturers are likely to try to protect the high margins they get on their proprietary chargers, just as they tried -- and ultimately failed -- to protect proprietary headset connections.

But user demand for interoperable devices should help make this a reality -- especially if consumers and businesses large and small demand that new phones employ the new standard.

I know I will!