If you have a chance take a look at the video of Apple's recent March 6th presentation at its software developers conference. Besides announcing that iPhone would be fully compatible with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and essentially targeting the enterprise market, they also showcased announced that they would be opening up iPhone to outside developers.
While I am an Apple shareholder and think this is could be huge for its stock, I was blown away by the videogame demonstrations that were presented by Apple, Electronic Arts and Sega at the conference. Apparently Apple's new SDK (which was downloaded by more than 100,000 programmers within four days) makes it really easy for coders to develop all kinds of things including video games. Moreover Apple will showcase new applications (videogames) in its Apps Store which will be on the homescreen of every iPhone ( there are already 4 million in circulation). Apple will share 70% of application revenues with third party developers and Kleiner Perkins announced it was setting up an iFund with $100 million to finance new iPhone applications. (Remember how Facebook usage exploded after it opened up its platform to outside developers?)
Anyway, EA showcased its long awaited Spore video game, Sega showcased Super Monkey Ball and Apple demonstrated a jet fighter game called Touch Fighter. Each had under two weeks to develop their iPhone games. All of these games were motion sensing games taking advantage of iPhone's 3.5 inch touch screen and its triple axis accelerometer. Please watch the video of Touch Fighter below. It is amazing.
Once you see these demos you will realize that the iPhone/iPod Touch is Apple's bold step into the video game business. The iPhone is not only an amazing mobile device for productivity and connectivity, but it is a handheld videogame console which could give Nintendo's DS ( 50 million units sold) and Sony's PSP a run for their money. There is even a cheaper version called the iPod Touch, which has all the cool features except the cell phone. So why carry a cell phone, Blackberry, and or videogame handheld, when you could just have the smartest mobile device on the planet, the iPhone. This could be really big.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Dear Bill, Zimbra is a Keeper
As far as I can tell, most of the mainstream media has overlooked a possible jewel within Yahoo's sprawling operations. About a year and a half ago Yahoo acquired a promising Web applications start up called Zimbra for $350 million. Zimbra has a really neat Web-based version of what is essentially MSOffice that seems to be superior in many ways to Google Docs. The company recently released Zimbra 5.0 which added support for Microsoft Outlook 2007. It also supports BlackBerry Enterprise Server, J2ME-enabled handsets such as the Motorola RAZR, and a new version of ZCS for mobile Web browsers.
Some of the technology press thinks that Microsoft would either sell or let Zimbra wither, in favor of their own .NET Web based applications. Also Zimbra is open source and the folks at Redmond have never been to keen on open source software.
I think Microsoft should instead embrace Zimbra. As Apple has proven superior software drives market share and from what I read, Zimbra is getting rave reviews when it comes to Web-based collaboration and productivity software. It functions online, offline and in a mobile platform. Zimbra could come in handy during the coming Web-based apps-smartphone wars. You will note that Apple's has announced that it is going after the enterprise market with its new iPhone software update due in June.
From a financial standpoint Zimbra's software is smack in the center of MSFT's core business. Microsoft's high margin "Business Division" accounts for about 30% of the companies overall revenues and for the six months ending Dec 31, 2007 , nearly 50% of the company's profits. Microsoft Busines Division is by far its fastest growing division and it is home to such core franchises as Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Exchange.
Many in technology watchers are eagerly awaiting the day when desktop software is a thing of the past and when most of our applications are Web based. Of course this appears to be core to Google's strategy and a big reason why Google Documents, Gmail and Google Calendar and other web based productivity apps are such a looming threat for Mister Softee. Zimbra's productivity and collaboration software has been widely adopted at universities and works well on Blackberry's and other smartphones like Treo's and iPhone.
Zimbra is a keeper Bill.
Some of the technology press thinks that Microsoft would either sell or let Zimbra wither, in favor of their own .NET Web based applications. Also Zimbra is open source and the folks at Redmond have never been to keen on open source software.
I think Microsoft should instead embrace Zimbra. As Apple has proven superior software drives market share and from what I read, Zimbra is getting rave reviews when it comes to Web-based collaboration and productivity software. It functions online, offline and in a mobile platform. Zimbra could come in handy during the coming Web-based apps-smartphone wars. You will note that Apple's has announced that it is going after the enterprise market with its new iPhone software update due in June.
From a financial standpoint Zimbra's software is smack in the center of MSFT's core business. Microsoft's high margin "Business Division" accounts for about 30% of the companies overall revenues and for the six months ending Dec 31, 2007 , nearly 50% of the company's profits. Microsoft Busines Division is by far its fastest growing division and it is home to such core franchises as Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Exchange.
Many in technology watchers are eagerly awaiting the day when desktop software is a thing of the past and when most of our applications are Web based. Of course this appears to be core to Google's strategy and a big reason why Google Documents, Gmail and Google Calendar and other web based productivity apps are such a looming threat for Mister Softee. Zimbra's productivity and collaboration software has been widely adopted at universities and works well on Blackberry's and other smartphones like Treo's and iPhone.
Zimbra is a keeper Bill.
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