Vodafone building new app store

The past year has seen some tremendous success stories of app stores from various vendors and vodafone comes out with a smart way to capitalize on the same. While the idea is innovative, the possibilities of reinventing the wheel hits Vodafone again. Will a iphone user go for a twitter app that is native to iphone or should he try a new version from vodafone?

Vodafone seems to have done the ground work right with the app store by creating a perfect working platform for the developers. Vodafone is offering APIs which allow access to network details like location awareness and other details, and there will be a Vodafone software development Kit – Vodafone SDK.

Cross mobile platform is the target, but ironically, the apps will fist roll out and be native to Nokia 60 series and will slowly be ported to other platforms. The success of the vodafone app store, would heavily depend on the ease of portability between platforms. Vodafone is counting on the use of a new technology management layer, supported by Service Oriented Architecture (SOA).

Vodafone user base

Vodafone is banking on the current user baseof about 300 million, across the globe. Apple has a smaller base, but was able to sell more than a billion apps on its app store. Developers will be able to charge the customers with the billing system, built by Vodafone and Vodafone plans to have the system running on a revenue sharing model. The system is under idea phase and is expected to be in operations in a year. Vodapone also expressed its openeess to talk with mobile vendors, which will enable them to work with the cross platform adherence.

Related posts:

1. 6 Reasons To Develop On Blackberry Platform
2. Microsoft To Launch New Syncing Service – Skybox Cloud
3. Google Android Mobile to be Launched – T Mobile HTC Dream

Not for sale!!

Twitter has been growing at a phenomenal rate in the past year and has more traffic than Facebook and even myspace. While, there are still no visible channels of twitter monetization, twitter does seem like a massive potential playground for investors. With the traffic and users increasing, not to count on the mobile interface and the APis, twitter is worth almost close to Facbook’s offer of $500 million.

However, there could be reasons behind twitter turning down the offer. Facebook’s offer of $500 million was partly in cash and over-rated stock. There is a very fair chance that twitter could have estimated the bloated prices of Facebook stock as too high. However Apple will not much problems offering cash ($700 M) to twitter. Multiple sources including tech crunch hint that the interest from Apple could be true.

Apple’s twitter page swept me like a wave and I was more convinced that we could see Steve Jobs, announcing the acquisition of twitter by Apple. Apple could use the iphone trump card to profit out of Twitter, but I am not sure if they can win the money back.

Twitter offers RSS feeds, APIs and client access from a external desktop program or mobile device, and everything is for free. It is so much against the Apple way, which is “Pay and we will provide you the best”. If the acquisition happens, you could see some massive changes to the twitter monetization channels.

Twitter has been lured with lots of offers from various people, and they do not have a proper business plan yet. Somebody has to pay for those sweating servers. It was a big surprise, when twitter turned down the offer from facebook, but Biz Stone clearly put the ideas flat, when he talked to Computer World about twitter being on sale.

An Apple employee, a Twitter fan

Picture Credit : An Apple Employee at work, Source: Apple

Related posts:

1. Twitter Monetization channels
2. Cruel Apple Strategy : Jailbreak iphone Firmware 3.0
3. Six Twitter Follow management Tools you need

Previous Acquisitions by IBM

IBM has made a lot of huge acquisitions in the past like Lotus, Rational to name some. IBM has the innovation and has developed a lot of products from the prototypes. Rational Application Developer is one of the best application developement integrated platforms, I have ever used. Sun Microsystems has also been a major innovator in the silicon valley, and IBM should probably be able to pump in more innovation to Sun’s products.

IBM servers

But SUN is DIFFERENT

Sun Microsystems accredits a lot of credit to two of its products – Java and Solaris. Sun has also been a direct competitor to IBM, when it comes to servers. Most of sun’s servers though are powered by AMD processors and is one of the reasons why the servers are available at cheaper prices. While Java, Virtual box, solaris have been distributed for free, the major revenue for sun comes from its servers, accounting for over half the revenue.

Java and the developer base

Java has a huge developer base backing it in numerous ways. Java is being used by million corporate users in the software industry and an effective monetization plan could make this deal a great one for IBM in the long run. While IBM can make use of the developer potential, the interests of the developers may get scattered by this acquisition and Java may take up a lonely road. Apple, Google, IBM are few of the software giants who capitalize on the power of Java.

Customer Base

Sun Microsystems boasts a huge array of customers across verticals and includes some big shots like General Motors, General Electricals. IBM has excellent expertise in dealing with large customers, and will posibly not have problems dealing with sun’s clients. In fact, all 25 of the top 25 banks of the world, use mainframes for processing data.

The Cloud Factor

Sun has leaped itself in a good position in the field of cloud computing and IBM is also one of the key players in the cloud. In fact, IBM opened a new division in Armonk, with focus only on cloud computing. With the fact that IBM has played excellent roles in server technologies, IBM is counting heavy on cloud computing technologies and solutions.

SQL or DB2 – A tough Choice

IBM has always been keen in promoting DB2 as a weapon for people who are into data mining. While DB2 is extremely scalable and is very powerful, SQL is free and is considered as a very light database. IBM is going to have problems maintaining both of them.

Competitors

Other competitors HP and Cisco have not commented yet on the acquisition. It is in fact rumored that HP took a pass when offered to take up Sun Microsystems. In fact, GigaOm has an interesting post on why Cisco should take up Sun Microsystems.

Sun Microsystems have not yet confirmed that they have received an offer from IBM, though the news has been floating around for a long time on all major magazines.

P.S. – I am a former employee of IBM and I am expressing only my personal opinion here. This blog post has got nothing to do with IBM nor does it reflect IBM’s strategy or ideas.

Related posts:

1. Microsoft To Launch New Syncing Service – Skybox Cloud
2. IBM teams up with EyeOS to fight Google Chrome OS
3. Mozilla Bespin – Code Cloud Computing