We live in a different world than we did in 8 January 2007. With the announcement of the iPhone a day later and the announcement of the App Store the following year, Apple didn’t change a genre, it defined a new one. We can live and work with more computing power in our pocket than sent astronauts to the Moon.
But we have such access on our desktops for decades now. And during that time, the pendulum oscillated with increasing frequency back and forth between thin and fat clients. Big iron to Pentiums to iPhones in just a few decades. But in putting so much power literally at our fingertips, Apple, Google, and others have shifted the pendulum’s bearing.
Here’s five reasons for rich mobile clients:
1. The platform is solid but your connection isn’t.
Whether you live in San Francisco or rural Yorkshire, mobile network speeds can be an issue. Sure, Google and Samsung are rolling out devices that can support a 4G connection, WiMAX is in the pipe, and you can get a WiFi connection with your $5.00 cup of coffee. But network speed will continue to be an issue versus processing power for one simple fact: the stock market. Any company big enough to make any difference in the realm of mobile networking will almost certain be public and therefore have a quarterly and yearly targets to meet to drive their stock position. This unfortunate fact means that, even in this “age of austerity,” the money we part with to have the next new gadget in our pocket is more fluid than the millions or billions required to significantly advance mobile networking.
2. The “Age of Austerity.”
Difficult economic times press all of us. But for companies hoping to be first in line for the economic recovery, an untapped resource lies conveniently in your pocket. While a virtual server from superior hosting companies like Rackspace is still decidedly cheap, the tech sector is still defined by the axiom “go big or go home.” So to succeed, we often need a large audience. In the Dot Com boom, that meant web farms. In the Age of the App, smart companies choose to leverage the free computing power of a mobile device in lieu of an additional 1000 web servers. If the capability already exists, why should you pay for it?
3. Mobile is beyond bifurcation.
Shopping for smartphones makes the point abundantly clear: there’s no shortage of players. Further, “mobile” goes well beyond just phones as we all queue up for the latest tablets. Traditionally, evidence of variety like this has been used as an argument for centralizing control and processing in a single code base in a web farm. After all, it has been a successful strategy during the browser wars. But mobile goes well beyond idiosyncratic CSS handling or plug-in availability. RIM and Apple have profound differences in the way they approach mobile computing with legions of devotees on all sides. Even fundamental elements like a keyboard, how well it works, and how comfortable the user is going to be using it play a critical role in how mobile apps should be designed. Further, all of the mobile platforms are providing a wealth of specialized features not only to end users but also developers in an attempt to woo them to develop for their platform. This fact extends not from ubiquitous app stores but down to the nitty gritty way that simple messages will be delivered to each device. All that capability boils down to one simple question: would you rather pay developers to reinvent the wheel again or to deliver functionality? Leverage the platforms and keep any server functionality as thin as possible. Let the user tell you what they want, how they want to interact, and you’ll create devotion.
4. Your competition has changed.
Apps do not compete only within their market categories and segments today. They compete for attention. In the mobile platform, Angry Birds is just a click away. Apps must not only go further to help users get things done faster, but they must elegantly fit within the user’s ecosystem of choice. Personal mobile users especially choose a mobile platform because they love it. iPhone users like swiping. Blackberry users love the speed of their keyboards. Android users love their Google integration. Each of these platforms brings its own capabilities and specialities and user predispositions. Respecting these leads to apps tailored like a fine suit, apps that enchant, apps that sell. Rejecting it leads to banality and the bottom of the app store popularity chart.
5. Money, money, money.
If the spectacular VC investment and initial stumble of Color is any lesson to us, it screams about the value of nimble adjustments and the value of keeping risk low until the model has proven it’s ready to expand. Large capital investments easily become an albatross. The more money companies throw at web farms, the more every solution looks like it needs a web site. The more servers running in house, the more staff are required to keep them ticking over, updated, and healthy. Apple make take 30% of sales, but is 30% that companies need not invest in hosting, infrastructure, and staff. How many days can you employ an IT worker for 0.30 pence? Google, Amazon, and Apple already have the capability and are charging almost nothing for it. Use it.
The next economic boom will almost certainly involve apps. Computing, especially mobile, isn’t about techies, geeks, or even devotees. It’s about everyone – everyone’s attention, everyone’s connection, everyone’s preferences, and everyone’s money. Tomorrow’s success story will put a rich app in everyone’s hands.
