GetQuik Blog
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Smart Phones Getting Smarter
The two darlings of Silicon Valley - Google and Apple want to get into your pocket. The approaches to get there are quite different. Apple's iPhone takes a new step forward as they release their much anticipated SDK.
Google is working on Android, which they are claiming as the "first open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices". We should be seeing some Android handsets later this year, but the question for application developers is whether Android will help to simplify application deployment or further complicate the matter.
Although J2ME (Java Mobile Edition 2) is designed to be a write-once deploy to many solution, the reality is that different handsets and even different carriers require modifications to the code in order for these J2ME applications to run correctly. As the number of deployed handsets increase, the porting requirements are massive. 200 or more ports are necessary to have a high percentage of installed base handsets covered.
That is why the single handset iPhone with its 27% of smartphone sales in the US is such an attractive platform to develop to. The usage patterns for the iPhone are unlike any smart phone. The amount of web usage fpr an iPhone user is significantly higher than any other handset. For application developers looking to target their ideal mobile customer without the massive cost of porting and testing, the iPhone offers a cost-effective entry-point.
GetQuik is getting onboard the iPhone bandwagon. Today GetQuik is releasing our iPhone for GetQuik web application. You can check out a tutorial on how to setup and use our application at www.getquik.com. We have some press coverage that is coming in conjunction with this release, so our traffic to our web-site may cause a few delays. We are eagerly awaiting the SDK announcement to see how we can extend and enhance future versions of our iPhone application.
If you get a chance to try out our app and have some thoughts - you can post here or email us comments@getquik.com.
The two darlings of Silicon Valley - Google and Apple want to get into your pocket. The approaches to get there are quite different. Apple's iPhone takes a new step forward as they release their much anticipated SDK.Google is working on Android, which they are claiming as the "first open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices". We should be seeing some Android handsets later this year, but the question for application developers is whether Android will help to simplify application deployment or further complicate the matter.
Although J2ME (Java Mobile Edition 2) is designed to be a write-once deploy to many solution, the reality is that different handsets and even different carriers require modifications to the code in order for these J2ME applications to run correctly. As the number of deployed handsets increase, the porting requirements are massive. 200 or more ports are necessary to have a high percentage of installed base handsets covered.
That is why the single handset iPhone with its 27% of smartphone sales in the US is such an attractive platform to develop to. The usage patterns for the iPhone are unlike any smart phone. The amount of web usage fpr an iPhone user is significantly higher than any other handset. For application developers looking to target their ideal mobile customer without the massive cost of porting and testing, the iPhone offers a cost-effective entry-point.
GetQuik is getting onboard the iPhone bandwagon. Today GetQuik is releasing our iPhone for GetQuik web application. You can check out a tutorial on how to setup and use our application at www.getquik.com. We have some press coverage that is coming in conjunction with this release, so our traffic to our web-site may cause a few delays. We are eagerly awaiting the SDK announcement to see how we can extend and enhance future versions of our iPhone application.
If you get a chance to try out our app and have some thoughts - you can post here or email us comments@getquik.com.
Labels: android, apple, GetQuik, iPhone, sdk, smart phones
¶ 6:49 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
An Apple Walks Into the Space and...
A certain technology company out of Cupertino has recently been making some noise about revolutionizing the way we order food and beverages. No question that their track record has been impressive recently. Apple was not the first to come up with an MP3 player or a mobile phone, but their entry into these markets have changed the game. In MP3's they have dominated the industry and left others like the Zune in the dust. For mobile phones, there are still major players to contend with, and these folks have deep pockets and will determinedly protect their turf. As Apple's entry into phones is still new, the end result of their entrance into the space is unknown. AppleTV, so far, has not worked out according to plan, but that does not mean that new versions may not change that situation.
A certain technology company out of Cupertino has recently been making some noise about revolutionizing the way we order food and beverages. No question that their track record has been impressive recently. Apple was not the first to come up with an MP3 player or a mobile phone, but their entry into these markets have changed the game. In MP3's they have dominated the industry and left others like the Zune in the dust. For mobile phones, there are still major players to contend with, and these folks have deep pockets and will determinedly protect their turf. As Apple's entry into phones is still new, the end result of their entrance into the space is unknown. AppleTV, so far, has not worked out according to plan, but that does not mean that new versions may not change that situation.So is Apple's entry into the space good or bad for GetQuik?
It is too early to tell, but it presents challenges and opportunties. With Apple's presence, the growth in on-line and mobile restaurant transactions will greatly accelerate. Apple will create awareness from consumers and restaurant operators. Additionally, Apple will be landing major deals with large operators such as Starbucks. Restaurants in the US generate over $500 billion in revenues. Of this $500 billion, approximatley $350 billion is spent on casual and quick service dining. The other $150 billion is spent on fine dining. With such a large addressable market comprised of single unit, francisors, regional, and national chains, GetQuik sees an opportunity to take advantage of the PR and awareness Apple creates. There is room for more than one winner in this market. There is a very good chance that Apple with their brains, resources, and passionate user base will make the final cut. The competition to join or beat them will be fierce, and that is why Apple's entry will be interesting. The race is afoot and only the strong will survive.
Happy New Year indeed.
Happy New Year indeed.
For the record, GetQuik has offered mobile food ordering solutions since May 2007 (J2ME and WAP).
Labels: apple, GetQuik, iPhone, mobile commerce, mobile ordering, online restaurant ordering
¶ 7:06 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Price is Right?
Setting prices for products and services is a challenging exercise. The goal is to maximize profits without pricing out of your target customer's budget.
Setting prices for products and services is a challenging exercise. The goal is to maximize profits without pricing out of your target customer's budget.The danger of low margin pricing:
- Lost Profits,
- Cash Flow Challenges, and
- Limited Working Capital for R&D, Customer Service and Marketing.
The risk of high margin pricing:
- Losing customers to competitors,
- Lack of supplier control, and
- Inability to gain significant market share.
Steve Jobs has great instincts for setting prices. His firm stance to price songs at $.99 on iTunes is a great example of this. iPod prices were also near perfect. Apple was able to dominate the MP3 player market, while still making healthy profits to fuel the continued dominance of the iPod franchise.
That is why the iPhone price correction is surprising. For months leading up the much hyped iPhone release, analysts were concerned that the $499 and $599 prices were far too high. Now that Apple has dropped the price of the 8GB iPhone to $399 ($200), it appears that Apple is looking to sacrifice profits in order to garner significantly higher market share. Conspiracy theorist are wondering if this entire price and reprice of the iPhone may be a well orchestrasted strategy by Jobs. Time will tell whether $399 is the sweet spot for the iPhone. Although Apple could have milked huge profits at the $499 and $599 price levels, those prices were clearly hurting sales volumes. Whether or not the iPhone price correction was a correction or a premeditated strategy, one thing is certain, prices matter.
Labels: apple, iPhone, ipod, itunes, pricing, steve jobs
¶ 8:30 AM 0 Comments Links to this post
Monday, July 23, 2007
So Easy a 6-Year Old Can Use It
A few months back, there was a report that showed that kids were becoming technically proficient at the age of 6. 6 years ago, the average age for this milestone was 8 years old.
Rather than the "so easy that your grandmother will use it" goal, perhaps a better measurement would be to see if a toddler can grasp how to use a new technology. NPR reports that kids can recognize marketing logos as early as 18 months old. Putting these two facts together, technology and electronics companies are working to get their devices and software into the tiny hands of this increasing technical adept young market. The potential for a craddle-to-grave relationship between consumers and technology companies continues to become more of a reality.
A few months back, there was a report that showed that kids were becoming technically proficient at the age of 6. 6 years ago, the average age for this milestone was 8 years old.Apple has proven time and again that a simple user interface can translate into a major advantage over a feature-rich, yet complex solution. The average consumer has a lower tolerance for confusing user-interfaces. In turn, innovation in providing a simple, intuitive interface has dramatically improved over the course of that last 5 years. The introduction of flash and AJAX technology has provided a superior user-experience over the hyperlink driven early web offerings.
Rather than the "so easy that your grandmother will use it" goal, perhaps a better measurement would be to see if a toddler can grasp how to use a new technology. NPR reports that kids can recognize marketing logos as early as 18 months old. Putting these two facts together, technology and electronics companies are working to get their devices and software into the tiny hands of this increasing technical adept young market. The potential for a craddle-to-grave relationship between consumers and technology companies continues to become more of a reality.
Labels: apple, youth market
¶ 4:48 PM 0 Comments Links to this post
