The Proprietary Mobile Platforms

It came as no surprise when users wanted more—they will always want more.

Writing robust applications such as graphic-intensive video games with WAP was

nearly impossible.The 18-year-old to 25-year-old sweet-spot demographic—the kids

with the disposable income most likely to personalize their phones with wallpapers and

ringtones—looked at their portable gaming systems and asked for a device that was both

a phone and a gaming device or a phone and a music player.They argued that if devices

such as Nintendo’s Game Boy could provide hours of entertainment with only five buttons,

why not just add phone capabilities? Others looked to their digital cameras, Palms,

Blackberries, iPods, and even their laptops and asked the same question.The market

seemed to be teetering on the edge of device convergence.

Memory was getting cheaper; batteries were getting better; and PDAs and other

embedded devices were beginning to run compact versions of common operating systems

such as Linux and Windows.The traditional desktop application developer was suddenly

a player in the embedded device market, especially with Smartphone technologies

such as Windows Mobile, which they found familiar.

Handset manufacturers realized that if they wanted to continue to sell traditional

handsets, they needed to change their protectionist policies pertaining to handset design

and expose their internal frameworks, at least, to some extent.

A variety of different proprietary platforms emerged—and developers are still actively

creating applications for them. Some Smartphone devices ran Palm OS (now Garnet

OS) and RIM Blackberry OS. Sun Microsystems took its popular Java platform and

J2ME emerged (now known as Java Micro Edition [Java ME]). Chipset maker

Qualcomm developed and licensed its Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless

(BREW). Other platforms, such as Symbian OS, were developed by handset manufacturers

such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, and Samsung.The Apple iPhone OS (OS X

iPhone) joined the ranks in 2008. Figure 1.4 shows several different phones, all of which

have different development platforms.

Many of these platforms have associated developer programs.These programs keep

the developer communities small, vetted, and under contractual agreements on what they

can and cannot do.These programs are often required and developers must pay for them.

Each platform has benefits and drawbacks. Of course, developers love to debate over

which platform is “the best.” (Hint: It’s usually the platform we’re currently developing

for.)

The truth is no one platform has emerged victorious. Some platforms are best suited

for commercializing games and making millions—if your company has brand backing.

Other platforms are more open and suitable for the hobbyist or vertical market applications.

No mobile platform is best suited for all possible applications. As a result, the

mobile phone has become increasingly fragmented, with all platforms sharing part of the

pie.

For manufacturers and mobile operators, handset product lines became complicated

fast. Platform market penetration varies greatly by region and user demographic. Instead

of choosing just one platform, manufacturers and operators have been forced to sell

phones for all the different platforms to compete.We’ve even seen some handsets supporting

multiple platforms. (For instance, Symbian phones often also support J2ME.)

The mobile developer community has become as fragmented as the market. It’s nearly

impossible to keep track of all the changes in the market. Developer specialty niches

have formed.The platform development requirements vary greatly. Mobile software

developers work with distinctly different programming environments, different tools, and

different programming languages. Porting among the platforms is often costly and not

straightforward. Keeping track of handset configurations and testing requirements, signing

and certification programs, carrier relationships, and application marketplaces have

become complex spin-off businesses of their own.

It’s a nightmare for the ACME Company wanting a mobile application. Should they

develop a J2ME application? BREW? iPhone? Windows Mobile? Everyone has a different

kind of phone.ACME is forced to choose one or, worse, all of the above. Some platforms

allow for free applications, whereas others do not.Vertical market application

opportunities are limited and expensive.

As a result, many wonderful applications have not reached their desired users, and

many other great ideas have not been developed at all.