In my last blog post, I cited a factoid regarding 17 million iPhones having been sold to date. In fact, Apple’s App Store is downloading and/or selling approximately 3 million applications every day. Of course, this is America, and where would be without over-reactive pendulum swings? Some are asking if the App Store paradigm is the wave of the future and if the mobile web is dead? The answer, of course, is a resounding NO.
The App Store is not the future- it’s the present, and only with respect to the iPhone. The appeal of the iPhone is the App Store. To Apple’s credit, they were really smart when the copied their iPod and iTunes template when they launched the iPhone. Further, they were downright brilliant when they made each and every hardware component on that phone i.e. the microphone, speaker, screen, camera and GPS chip available to the developer community via open APIs and a well thought iPhone software development kit. Layer on Apple’s typically brilliant marketing and voila: two years later we have 17 million phones, tens of thousands of apps and another Apple success story.
Ok, so now let’s put this in context. First, while 17 million iPhones have been sold worldwide, there are more than 2 billion non-iPhones out there. Second, let’s be real, the App Store is a walled garden and walls are always salacious targets in the same way that buttons compel pushing. Think AOL… So, as we all think about developing our mobile applications, know that it is imperative to develop a WAP application first and foremost. I would of course, encourage the development of an iPhone app too as iPhone users are rabid consumers of applications and the mobile web. Also, cell phone manufacturers, take note: Start defining standards across your line of handsets. Publish APIs and SDKs that allow developers to write apps and/or mobile web applications. And watch the mobile web tsunami explode!
David Gould is CEO of mShopper.
Retailers are facing one of the toughest economies in recent history. Experts predict that the first half 2009 will be dismal in regard to consumer spending. Therefore, retailers need to work even harder to engage their existing customers in order to stay top-of-mind during what is likely to be a difficult first quarter. Now, in the wake of a challenging holiday season, businesses must re-think, revamp and reinvigorate their marketing mix in order to succeed in the coming months.
We’ve heard the reports, seen the numbers and heard the ba humbug! This past holiday season was one of the most dismal for retailers in years. Stores were slashing their prices to get rid of merchandise and still weren’t seeing the sales of years past. So how does a company compete and distinguish itself in such a tough economy? Obviously, red-lined prices aren’t making an impact, but great customer service leaves a lasting impression.
There is no question about it—the world is going through an economic downturn. Consumers are cutting back on their spending and businesses are facing tough decisions, perhaps the strongest signal for a stormy period to come. According to Forrester, a leading technology analyst, “Risks have grown that the U.S. and other major countries will experience a longer and deeper recession than we had expected. If so, the hi-tech market would see several quarters of declines in purchases, not just two or three quarters with little or no growth in late 2008 and the first half 2009.”
Recently, I opened up my community newspaper to learn that my favorite shoe store was going out of business—another victim of the economic meltdown. Another blow came a few days later when my husband and I drove to one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants only to be greeted by a sign on the door that read: Thank you for allowing us to serve you these past few years. Unfortunately, we have closed our doors. 
By drawing on the experience of traditional retail, and taking advantage of the unique opportunities presented by the Internet, e-retailers can look brightly at the future in spite of a gloomy economy.