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Will Fry's Sell My Application?
by Christoffer Andersson
Ok, you have designed the coolest wireless application ever, the VC is happy and it's time to get it out to the masses. Then you start thinking, how do I do that? Traditional software developers have very detailed processes for this, with production and logistics carefully mapped. The application ends up in the shelves of some retailer, like Fry's or CompUSA, or in the stock of some online/mail order reseller. Some might market it strictly as being downloadable off the web. The latter model is not commonly used by the biggest, most successful players today. One of the reasons being that people want to get something tangible, something to hold, touch and covet. Many people save the boxes of the software they buy, even though the only thing they really need is the manual and the CD. Still, the bricks and mortar part of our intangible products seem to remain important to us. So, where does that leave our wireless applications? We can actually buy some boxed PDA applications today (like the Tiger Woods golf for the Palm), but will that be the way that the common man gets new features into his device?
There are a number of things to think of concerning our wireless devices...I'm mostly talking about reasonably small devices (phones, smartphones, PDA's, other handhelds, not laptops). First of all, some of these devices will not use an open platform. Hopefully you thought of that BEFORE you started developing for it! Anyway, those devices are likely to use WAP for applications, and there are actually ways of selling those as well (I will get back to that). Some devices are closed, but you could still develop client resident applications for them. You then have to make some deal with the manufacturer of the device to have the software bundled with it.
Also, the device is probably not going to be shipped with a CD-ROM or a floppy drive (Wow, I totally did NOT realize that!), so how do you install new stuff on it? The applications that you can buy for your PDA today are installed on your PC (by download from the Internet or a CD) and then transmitted into the device at the next synchronization. Is this something that mass market users will do in the future? Remember, there are going to be around 600 Million Mobile Internet users in 2004, so they are not all going to be rocket scientists.
So, let's get down to what you CAN do. Following the division in the previous column, I start by talking about client-server applications and then move on to device-resident applications. The business models for client-server applications are already starting to develop, as most of it is the same for Internet applications and web sites. I know many whose job is to find out how to charge users for access to web sites, and some of that should apply for WAP sites as well. I will not go into that area, but take a moment to consider what you can do with the Mobile Internet that you cannot do with the fixed Internet. Here are some suggested starting points:
1. Get into the operator's portfolio/portal. Some operators are looking at offering more than just voice calls and transport of bits and bytes. If your application is a part of what the operator offers in subscription packages you are likely to get a huge exposure and hopefully a corresponding piece of the pie (maybe they'll even buy it … or you). Generally these discussions about revenue sharing are very sensitive, and it's important not to get too greedy.
2. Wireless ASP's. These players are starting to emerge at an increasing rate. We are likely to see everything from those who just offer you a connection to the network to some that will actually offer you application as a part of a package.
3. Utilize other conduits, like AvantGo, that put your content in a place where people are likely to go when they are looking for applications.
Most of these bullets are valid for client resident applications as well. The added complexity with those is that you actually have to modify what is in the device. That immediately creates a threshold that many, non-technical, users will never get over. It has been shown that around 90% of all Microsoft Windows users never alter the way their desktop looks...will they all suddenly become tech-savvy and begin looking for new things to put into their handheld devices? The following ways will minimize the threshold for the user
4. Talk to a device manufacturer. Some applications pose a natural extension to the device. With those you might be able to catch the interest of the Ericsson and Nokias of this world.
5. OS manufacturer. With the handheld, the OS and device are sometimes not clearly separated, but companies like Symbian and Microsoft are still separated from device companies. You might therefore be able to get your application into the bundle that accompanies the OS that is shipped to device manufacturers.
6. Third party software bundles. If a recognized brand bundles a number of applications into something that is easily accessible, the user might find the threshold of installing it lower.
7. Boxed, on the shelf. There might actually be a market for those applications that are sold on the shelf. With the advent of cheap Bluetooth chips, one could imagine buying a box containing such a chip. As you type in a password, your device can fetch the application from that box.
If I would revisit this topic in 6 months from now, I would probably have different things to mention. We will all see some interesting things happening in this area. The creativity of people that want their things to succeed seems to be endless.
Don't hesitate to drop me a line with suggestions and comments (responses may be slow sometimes, though, due to the huge amount of incoming mails). If you are in the process of developing wireless applications, make sure to sign up as a member at the Mobile Applications Initiative, (membership is free and open to anyone, not just the ones currently developing wireless applications). You can also drop in at one of the Ericsson MAI test labs for tests in a wireless environment and feedback on how to optimize for wireless.
About the author: Christoffer Andersson is Head of Technology for the Ericsson Mobile Applications Initiative, working in the Berkeley lab. In this position he and his global team helps application developers test their applications in wireless environments and to understand wireless networks and the Mobile Internet. His column focuses on wireless technologies and their impact on application development. Christoffer can be reached at christoffer@wirelessdevnet.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily Ericsson or the MAI.
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