Who dares upset the Apple cart?
Apple's decision to keep 30% of publishers digital subscription revenues from its iPad and smartphones apps store came as a shock to many.
Google's immediate response that it would only take 10% of subscription revenues from its apps store created a new chasm between the approach of two of the heavyweights in this new digital world.
This raised interesting questions about the relative merits and strategies of the giants in the digital apps race.
Still it is worth considering for a moment the value Apple has brought to the smartphone and apps party.
Apple has without question been the outstanding innovator in the world of small devices during the past 5 years or so.
Through a series of iconic devices from the iPod, to the iPhone and iPad the company led by Steve Jobs has
pointed the way and provided global leadership in the form factor and user interface of communications and media products.
Despite the armies of clones waiting to copy its every innovation, somehow it has managed to keep a step ahead of all comers through its creativity.
And in the process it has earned handsome rewards that has propelled it to the top of the global technology league tables.
Indeed Apples's innovations have spawned hundreds of thousands of applications that has driven the growth of all kinds of new business and processes.
Not least amongst those new businesses include innovative wireless telecom and media companies that operate the growing numbers of large scale free Wi-Fi estates, supported by smart Wi-Fi advertising services few could have imagined just 5 years ago.
I recall a conversation with a top Marketing Executive from a leading legal firm who said to me when we were rolling out Britezone Wi-Fi for the
Wireless Milton Keynes initiative that no one would want to surf the internet on their phones.
Nowadays without the incredible new user interface that Apple created together with the free Wi-Fi hand-off for smartphones, the millions of bandwidth hungry apps that wireless surfers depend on would not be practicable.
So in a world where risk and reward go hand in hand is it unreasonable that Apple should take the bigger share of revenue for inventing this market?
Labels: Apple, iPad, Milton Keynes Wireless Broadband Britezone, Steve Jobs, Wireless Milton Keynes