Response to Economist article
We would like to amplify the Economist’s view that the recent takeover of Motorola Mobility by Google and Microsoft choosing Nokia as device maker of reference are proof points that device fragmentation is here to stay, or even more so, is just beginning.
I’d say that the argument could be widened to include;
• Legal posturing through patent abuse claims
• The need to create for supremacy through close optimisation and alignment of operating environment and native device features.
• The personal nature of the smartphone and our use of apps
• The fact that the entry of new players that will need to differentiate is still likely
The patent game seems to be continuing with Apple’s injunction against Samsung this does indeed add costs to delivery of devices on the Android platform and is a way of slowing down the competition. And it’s not just Motorola who are ripe for purchase LG’s mobility division is draining the profitability of the other units, making a takeover very interesting, investors will want LG to sell it and its patents.
It’s all about the Customer’s Native App Experience
We also agree that there is great value in having a more vertical alignment that optimises and aligns the operating platform with the devices, often overlooked, complex array of native features. Maximising the value of device specific features to enhance performance or power usage offers significant differentiation to those developing for that platform. But we’d go further and say that it is fundamental that a brand like Apple delivers the best possible user experience as a means of claiming supremacy in the users’ eyes. In order to challenge, the others are being forced to create similarly tightly integrated eco-systems. Forget thoughts that an HTML5 app running across multiple device types will ever match the quality of a native app implementation let alone one tuned for such an eco-system.
And don’t forget that the market is actually driven by the customers who in the end make the choices. The mobile device is very personalized, much more than a PC was. This in its core will result in different competitive offerings as users respond to new ideas and devices that suit their personal needs. The quality of the user experience and the app being the key.
Is the battle for native app supremacy just beginning?
The app market is just too important for the remaining big players not to fight for a piece of the cake so they will, but the real question is whether the barrier is low enough for new players to jump in. Clearly in the US where Apple and Android have 70% market share players like Microsoft will have a hard time building up App volume to offer a complete eco system, but they have the cash. Samsung has the marketshare to consider offering alternatives. So there are multiple players capable of shaking the tree. We saw the rise of android in two years time, so why not a Bada or Meego, WebOS…? In the end you need muscle and there are multiple players that will play that game. These players will focus on their brand and the quality of their apps to engage their users. So there will be continuing fragmentation as new players enter the market and new technology disrupts it.
What does this mean for those developing and maintaining the apps?
First it means that you will definitely have to make sure that your apps run in multiple environments and are tuned to optimise the features of specific devices. There will always be brand juggernauts that can afford the burden of hand crafting native apps on all mobile Platforms (Amazon, eBay, Facebook, etc etc), but most people will need to adopt a Development Platform that can build and maintain apps on multiple platforms. We would say that Browser based options such as HTML5 and hybrids will be OK for some general uses but that anyone who wants the best user experience ( and most will need to ) will have to use a platform that delivers apps that exploit native features as well as HTML5.
Will Fragmentation in the App Market remain Endemic?
We see that fragmentation in the app market is, and will remain, endemic. The content and service providers currently have to foot the bill for delivering on multiple environments and this causes them considerable pain and expense. For them moving to an App Factory approach such as Service2Media’s based on an App Lifecycle Platform that builds and enhances their core and critical apps over time is surely far more cost effective, less risky option to native coding or browser based alternatives, and is a must. Being able to rapidly rebuild these apps to target new and emerging platforms and devices, as the apps evolve, will be a fundamental to those who wish to engage with a wider market and not leave out valued customers.
Disclosure: @MartinGandar is Service2Media’s App Evangelist
martin.gandar@service2media.com
