Google: app stores are not the future
Submitted by Editors Desk on 22 July, 2009 - 07:49.
Vic Gundotra, Google Engineering vice president and developer evangelist told the Mobilebeat conference in San Francisco last week that the Web had won, according to the Financial Times. Google believes that cell-phone users will get their information and entertainment through browsers in future, rather than from downloaded applications.
He said even Google was not rich enough to port all of the different mobile applications from Apple’s App Store [which only work on Apple’s phones] to BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Android, Nokia and all other commonly-used phones.
“What we clearly see happening is a move to incredibly powerful browsers,” he said. “Many, many applications can be delivered through the browser and what that does for our costs is stunning.”
“We believe the Web has won and over the next several years, the browser, for economic reasons almost, will become the platform that matters and certainly that’s where Google is investing,” he added.
Gundotra claimed that even Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, had said “Build for the Web,” when the iPhone was launched, but the idea had met with resistance from developers at the time.
The FT had no response from Apple – so we await opinion from the other side.
Google’s comments come as Apple announced 1.5 billion downloads from its app store and GetJar announced 500 million downloads from its store. Unlike Apple (and copycat stores from other handset vendors), GetJar provides applications that work on different types of handset.
While it makes good journalist copy to play off the mobile Web (Web-based applications) against app stores, some experts such as the MMA boss Mike Wehrs do not actually see them as competitors. See his answer in this interview.
mobiThinking welcomes Google’s comments. It is time for a grown-up debate: Are downloadable apps and the mobile Web competitors? What are the pros and cons with each from a marketer’s and consumer’s point of view? Gaze into your crystal ball and tell us what the future holds. Comment below or email editor (at) mobiThinking.com.
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The stores are market places. With all kinds of content that consumers could like. Apps are just an 'in between'. Developers are making money with them. With a simple link, posted in a favorites-structure, content owners can attract audiences and make their content available to users. The web brings the consumers to the content and on (mobile) site specific features or tools can be made available. No need to put these in an app.
One or two months ago, I made a short blog about this topic: http://record.mobi/?p=229.
Just from my view, the Mobile Web is the trends, no matter how hot mobile Apps are at now. Sorry, it is a bit long put all here. Just copy several lines.
With Apple’s iphone application success, now Nokia roll out the Ovi Store (store.ovi.mobi) as the application shop for Nokia Mobile. Google will roll out the Android App? Every Mobile Manufacturer will roll out their Mobile Application? China Mobile is rolling out China Mobile App...The Mobile Internet world will be crazy…
As we all know, the Browser/Server model overwhelm the Client/Server Model in Internet Web.
Ten years ago, when there is any Automation Office application, there are always roll out the Client Application for it. Now, there is any Automation Office Application, it is always the Browser/Server model. It will be the same for Mobile Internet in near future.
What is the strength and weakness of Browser/Server Model?
– Less or no client application to maintenance, save a lot in it.
– Update the server software then update for all users. Easy to maintenance.
– Data consistency. All is in server, don’t worry about the data in client.
– One deployment, all user is benefits.
Spend lots of efforts on application for mobile of one manufacture, why not spent the same efforts on server for all mobiles from lots of manufactures?
How to make your Mobile Services work on all the different Mobiles? It is the Mobile Web rather than the Mobile Application!
Maybe in 5+ years browsers on mobile devices will win. http://bit.ly/Ezk51. But until then we have a variety of platforms, connectivity and the current market to considfer
I completely agree with google. Check out my reasons at http://www.crispwireless.com/blog/09/07/1/appropos-are-native-mobile-app...
It's not really a question of either or but a matter of one or the other, or both - depending on audience and marketing goals. We work with large carriers on their mobile advertising programs and advise that both apps and the mobile web need to be part of the mix. To focus on one to the exclusion of the other is to leave a link our of the mobile marketing chain. We advocate an integrated seven channel approach that incorporates both apps and the mobile web. Apps play strong to the utility aspect of mobile and allow for deep engagement with specific audience/interest segments. Mobile web is a broader play with more spontaneous engagement.
There will always be a place for download applications and the app store but in the end the majority will move to the browser. Today the majority of developers are using the app stores primarily for the marketing and discovery not because they could not have just created a mobile optimized web site or web app. There will always be a place for applications that require access APIs. At Blinglets we have created numerous applications for iPhone, Blackberry and Android platforms and used the app stores for the marketing and discoverability aspects. But for all other handsets we created mobile optimized web sites with almost identical functionality to support all other handsets. For Blinglets the app stores offered a level of discoverability that made it worth the extra effort of developing applications for the various app stores.
What are the pros and cons indeed? Everybody seems to wonder these days... :-)
I think it is much simpler than we all make it out to be. Please read by blog "Pssst... don't you want to buy my Betamax" on the topic http://alexandergregori.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/pssst-dont-you-want-to-...
the biggest advantage for an organization or consumer is availability to facilitate micro payments... to me it looks like biggest advantage through the presence of an App store... Apple's AppStore was able to generate huge traffic & entice the developer community to monetize using its well connected channel...I really don't think any web property was able to acheive the same Also downloadable and web application complement each other... so Im quite bullish about the appstores; they are here to stay
There will always be a place for applications that require access APIs. At Blinglets we have created numerous applications for iPhone, Blackberry and Android platforms and used the app stores for the marketing and discoverability aspects.
I believe at least the way google is saying about future browsing, might be come true.
Hi, hope more than 70 % of search are made through Google. Though every day one or another technology is found but I hope that Google has to jump to some biggest technology in the near future or else the competitors will definitely try to over come them.
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