I just published Vodafone’s news regarding their ‘app store’ initiative — and I’m already getting questions and reaction in from developers.
Here are some quotes right off the press from some mobile developers. (I have removed names).
- “I’d like to know how much of my revenues they’ll demand.”
- “I like the ease of billing and the potential of micro-payments.”
- “I suspect they’ll take 30% just like Apple / Nokia etc. I hope it’s not more than that.”
- “It’s just another App store – we WILL develop for it, obviously, but only because I’m yet to see which store will capture the minds of consumers.”
- “I very much like the concept. Especially if one SDK works across a number of MNOs. That would be really cool.”
- “Is this too good to be true? It sure looks like it.”
- “If they were REALLY thinking of developers, they’d be finding a way to reduce the amount of work we need to do across the various mobile programming languages. Perhaps they are, I can’t quite work it out yet.”
- “Interesting, interesting… that’s all I have to say until you tell us more, Ewan.”
I’m aiming to have more information soon! If you’ve got a comment or opinion, drop me a note — ewan@mobiledeveloper.tv.
(I regularly tap up people for live reaction — if you’d like to be on that list, add me at ewanmacleod@gmail.com on Google Talk or ewanjmacleod on Skype.)
sounds good in theory but the question developers need to ask themselves is:
is this simply the next flavor of the month?
let's be realistic and look back in history. in 2005 it was mobile games with Vodafone putting effort, time and money behind mobile games and running above the line campaigns in markets like Spain and Germany to support games publishers. the year after that it was Mobile TV (we all know where that went) and then it was music.
the problem at Vodafone continues to be focus. With so many frequent changes in management and the dramatic reduction in personnel managing content you have to scratch under the surface and ask two questions:
1) how committed are they to this long term?
2) what kind of support / infrastructure are they going to put behind this and does it have buy in from the board?
let's see…
P
sounds good in theory but the question developers need to ask themselves is:
is this simply the next flavor of the month?
let's be realistic and look back in history. in 2005 it was mobile games with Vodafone putting effort, time and money behind mobile games and running above the line campaigns in markets like Spain and Germany to support games publishers. the year after that it was Mobile TV (we all know where that went) and then it was music.
the problem at Vodafone continues to be focus. With so many frequent changes in management and the dramatic reduction in personnel managing content you have to scratch under the surface and ask two questions:
1) how committed are they to this long term?
2) what kind of support / infrastructure are they going to put behind this and does it have buy in from the board?
let's see…
P