Will Google Lead the way in app innovation?

This research note outlines Google’s strategy to unleash the next wave of mobile innovation, particularly with respect to mobile apps. These efforts will create extraordinary new opportunities, not just for Google, but also for developers, OEMs, end-users and other mobile players. The changes that result also pose significant risks to legacy companies, who could be relegated to a supporting or niche role, or like the retailers who failed to adapt in the face of change brought by Wal-Mart, disappear altogether. Of course, there is no guarantee that Google will succeed, but the logic of its strategy is sound, compelling and likely to unfold in some form.

Read more: http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/05/will-google-unleash-the-next-wave-in-mobile-apps-innovation/#ixzz0OMPEo5gY

Key Points:
- Until recently, apps used by only technically savvy users
- Apple changed that model: 60,000 Apps developed, 300 apps downloaded daily; 1 billion downloads
- example: Shazam - started in 2002, limited usage; within 6 weeks of iPhone appstore launch, 1.5 million new users downloaded shazam; 35 million downloads in 6 months;
- Apple removed challenges of complex UI's and download capability; intiutive user-experience for users to run the applications;
- Developers: Tools to build, test, scale, publish apps.
- Success fundamentals: findability, accessability, usability, cost.

- Google's building blocks: Android OS; partner with OEM's for embedding Google apps in devices; enable developers to build rich apps;

- Mobile Innovation: apps in the cloud; offline access to mobile apps.

What does not work for apple today:
- Too many apps, dilute the most important ones: Cnet shared a top 35 apps
* Users end up browing the apps on the PC itunes store.
- Apple targets high-end markets, which has less growth potential than the low-end market in growing economies. Having said that, the high-end market is where the smart devices are more relavent.

What service providers need to do:
- Bet on a dual strategy: Web as a Platform for Agnostic access. Tools to make User Interfaces available on multiple platforms(Windows Mobile, Andriod, apple, Palm webos, Blackberry, qualcomm).
Facebook demonstrates this nicely. m.facebook.com
once there you can download the binary to download the applications...
- Collaborate and/or Integrate with Social platforms