Unpopular Perspective on the Facebook Upgrade of 9/21/2011

While most whine and complain about Facebook forever changing, complicating and controlling their lives, having run a software development firm for the past decade and a half, I stand back in absolute astonishment and true awe at the feat they just pulled off!

The sheer impact of the ticker alone must have cost Facebook north of a million dollars in QA and stress testing.  Think of the myriad permutation caused by serving hundreds of million concurrent users a unique ticker view.  Pause ... Think about it ... Mind numbing ... RIGHT!?!

Now think of the QA for browsers Chrome, IE, Firefox, Safari, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and tablets user interfaces…then remember each has multiple versions.  So … when your little notification counter is off or doesn't refresh ... Give the Facebook development team as small little break!  I’m sure it’s on their bug fix list somewhere far below "fine tuning the ticker API"

Now on the new user experience (UX as we geeks call it!)  Facebook has optimized the each pixel of the screen. This can only be done when the user base has tons of experience with the system. The ticker pop-ups are close to perfection and even support scrolling when you mouse over the region….BRAVO!  They have optimized the screen real estate and removed needless explanations like the word "Birthdays" has been replaced by the now familiar present icon.  I could go on and on, and there certainly are places with room for improvement, but I’m sure it will come with future rollouts!  It is very dangerous to try to rollout too many changes at once.

Look…some of the best and brightest minds of our time have just flawlessly pulled off an epic software upgrade on the world’s largest user base (750,000,000) ever known to mankind ...none of our apps broke …and all they hear are "boo" and prophecies of their eminent demise...Please...if you don't like it go back and login to Google+ for the second time since they launched!

Also, many people confuse Facebook with a sovereign government that has just breached their constitution.  Last time I checked, Facebook was a free opt-in social media platform owned by shareholders of the corporation!  It is not part of your government, it is not you god-given right to use it, and if you want it "your way" ... Take $5 down to Burger King…because the Whopper isn’t free!

So…Unless you secretly own a truckload of Facebook shares, get in line with the other 750MM users and get used to the fact that it is NOT YourSpace!!!

IMHO...that is!
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Steve Beauregard        ||  Founder & Managing Partner
424.234.1640 direct     ||  sbeau@regard.com

REGARD Mobile Apps &  Venture Solutions
4134 Del Rey Avenue   ||  Marina del Rey, CA 90292

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Mobile Industry Insider's Opinon of the Smartphone and Mobile Platform Landscape

This opinion written by Abdi  Zadeh, former REGARD VP of Professional Services...and redistributed here with his permission.  So, these are not my opinions, however, Abdi is spot on for the most part here...
Steve Beauregard
For the past 6 weeks, I’ve gone through an array of smartphones and tablets. I thought I’d share my experience:


Smartphone Landscape:

BlackBerry Torch: This is the phone that RIM should had come out with 12 months earlier than they did. Nice display, form-factor, and great battery life. This device won’t win any non-BlackBerry user over, but provides a nice stop-gap for existing BlackBerry users.

iPhone 4: This is great phone. Easy to use, good battery life, and nice form-factor. In fact, the only flaw is the lack of Flash support, which is quickly becoming a non-issue with the adoption of HTML 5

HP Veer: This is a cute phone, but definitely not for power-users. The form-factor is weird and the screen is too small. This runs on WebOS 2.0, which lacks quantity of apps. I’d wait for next generation devices from HP supporting WebOS 3.0

Samsung Galaxy 2 – Epic 4G: I really liked this Android 2.2 phone. Very nice touch display and full qwerty keyboard is nice for those of us that can’t type on screen displays. Battery life is definitely an issue, especially when the 4G, Wi-fi, or or GPS toggles are active. Also – the qwerty keyboard is too wide, making text-entry difficult with 2 thumbs (even for my long fingers). The accelerometer, which monitors device orientation and directional-navigation, seems to have some quirks as well.

Samsung Droid Charge: This is my current phone and I LOVE it. Incredibly fast 4G LTE with surprisingly sufficient battery-life. The Charge runs on Android 2.2, has a large touch display, and is extremely light in weight. The front facing camera is pretty cool too. My only issues with this phone are that main nav keys are hard buttons as opposed to screen-displays, which makes it a weird experience going back/forth from screen to buttons. Also – there’s no toggle between 3G and 4G. You have to use 4G where available.

HTC Thunderbolt: Hate it! Horribly outdated form-factor. It feels like a clunky PDA from Palm-4 days (late 90s). Battery life sucked

Samsung Focus: LOVE IT! I can’t believe Microsoft finally delivered a solid Mobile Platform. Running Windows Mobile 7, which introduces some new interactions with the finger gestures, the Focus provides new intuitive ways of navigating through apps and content. The battery life is on par with iPhone. The only negative is the lack of apps. The question is… can Microsoft win over consumers after so many horrible mobile platforms in the last 10 years?

Tablet Landscape:
iPad: This is still the best tablet out in the market. Best display, weight, form-factor.

BlackBerry Playbook: In my opinion, Playbook is the only device that comes close to iPad. Great hardware and experience. There’s a slight learning curve for new users, but once you get over it – you realize its brilliant design. What I don’t like; at 7”, I wish it were bigger. I also wish they would have launched with Android App support, which is expected in early Q4.

Motorala Xoom: A ridiculously overpriced paper-weight! The display is visibly cheap. When you hold it up to your phone or other tablets, it’s visibly less bright and sharp. It’s extremely heavy in weight and the power button is hidden on the back of the device (stupid). The processor chokes on interactive content, such as AJAX features.

Mobile Platform Landscape:

Apple’s iOS: Still the best, but others are catching up quickly. I believed that lack of Flash support would be their downfall, but with the growing adoption of HTML 5, Apple may have killed Flash. The only negative - for PC users, it sucks to be forced into using iTunes to sync/transfer content.

RIM’s BlackBerry: As a longtime advocate of the BlackBerry platform, all I can say now is that RIM’s days are numbered. RIM is so infused into corporate culture that it will be a slow death (ala Novel). They are trying to retain users with a big push in Latin America and Asia, but are hemorrhaging U.S. market-share. The Torch and Playbook are OK, but too little, too late.

Google’s Android 2.2 and 2.3: I’m a big fan, but they need to figure out their battery-management issues. They have the advantage of having multiple Manufacturers building hardware and interfaces for this platform, creating competition - which is always better for consumers. The funny thing about this is… Google’s Android Apps (e.g., Gmail and Google Docs) are really poorly designed.

Microsoft's Mobile 7: They finally did it! They finally put out an platform that wasn't ridiculously bad. In fact, it's pretty good. They introduce some new gesture interactions that allow for both vertical and horizontal navigation of content. The biggest challenge for this platform is the bad reputation Microsoft has in this space.

HP’s WebOS: I’m a fan, but have never seen any strong push or implementation of this platform. Since HP acquired Palm over a year ago – they’ve gone into hibernation. In Q4 of this year – we can expect new HP phones and tablets using a new WebOS 3.0 (with improved gestures for touch-screens). I’m sure HP will have a marketing blitz for developers and consumers. This is a very enticing platform for developers, as all you need to know is Javascript (even the native device APIs).

Qualcomm’s BrewMP: Stick to your hardware, chipsets, and Snapdragon Qualcomm! Mobile o/s is not your game! For a long time, I have predicted that this platform will die soon. I have inside info that suggests the time has finally come. It looks like Android will be the sole platform for Snapdragon devices.

Sean Penn to Marry Dr. Laura Schlessinger or Microsoft to buy RIM?

This headline seems as unlikely to me today as "Microsoft to Buy Research in Motion” (aka RIM, creators of the BlackBerry.) Photo by BlackBerryCool

This morning I was contacted by a technology reporter and asked to comment on the rumor.  I have speculated with peers for years as to which company would ultimately buy RIM and when.  There was a time about 3 years ago, that a take over of RIM by the software giant would have made obvious sense.

In late 2007, Microsoft Mobile 6 was clearly failing to gain meaningful mobile market share.  Meanwhile, RIM was trying to get their legs back under them after the 15^th round knockdown by NTP in the multi-year lawsuit.  For the better part of the year (a technology eternity,) RIM’s best and brightest engineers worked on contingency plans to circumvent certain message transport methods to hopefully stay off the NTP injunction.  RIM spent little time during that dispute staying ahead of the competition. 

During this time, Microsoft made giant strides with the Active Sync technology which is now utilized by Apple iPhone and other Smartphone manufacturers.  In my opinion, that was the key time for Microsoft, or Google for that matter, to buy RIM.  With the lawsuit settled and the BlackBerry Smartphone OS aching for an overhaul, Microsoft would have instantly taken the leadership position in the mobile race rather than continuing to flail about in the surf.

Google on the other hand would have then greatly benefited from acquiring RIM at that time as well.  Google would have instantly established an enterprise customer base to sell through all of the cloud based apps to displace Microsoft more rapidly than they recently have. Couple that with reason with the flop of the Nexus One, Google was ripe at that point to buy RIM.  Google quickly realized they “stepped in it” BIG TIME attempting to enter the hardware business.  Once they abandoned and realigned their strategy, Google Android promptly marched to the top of the US Smartphone market. So, why would they buy RIM now?

Although this is bad news for RIM, they remain an attractive acquisition target still for the following reasons:

1.   Recurring revenue. RIM continues to print money with their take of the monthly carrier bill and the annual enterprise T-Support contracts.

2.   Enterprise Customer Base.  RIM has an impressive government and corporate customer base for selling through other hardware, software and services.

3.  RIM is abandoning their legacy proprietary OS overhauling in favor of their QNX (UNIX based) OS.

4.  The new PlayBook will run Android apps on top of a virtual

Obstacles to a sale:

1.   RIM top brass don't want to sell.  Both Jim Ballsillie and Mike Lazaridis are RIM lifers.  Perhaps if Jim Ballisille can finally win his bid to bring a NHL hockey franchise to Waterloo...that may be a big enough distraction for him.  However, Lazaridis is a self admitted geek and LOVES what he does.  I would not be the least bit surprised to see the Co-Captains go down with the BlackBerry ship Novell style.  REGARDless…RIM will still be a major factor for 5 to 10 more years.

2.  Supporting RIM’s plethora of legacy devices, OS versions and BlackBerry Enterprise Server versions has got to me a formidable undertaking for any outsider coming in.

3.  The number one obstacle however will be blending the culture of most any organization with RIM. Having worked in or consulted for thousands of companies of all sizes over the past two decades, I have rarely come across any organization with the ability to say “my way or the highway” to customers and partners and get “their way” almost without exception. 

RIM and Microsoft would clash culturally worse than Sean Penn marrying Dr. Laura Schlessinger.  From my earliest dealings with RIM back in 1998, they came out of the gate with ATTITUDE and EGO which has served them VERY well up and to now!

The tides have indeed turned!  In general, the market reception I am hearing even among the most loyal BlackBerry users is "We are so over BlackBerry!"  The new Smartphones hitting the market are too compelling and the consumer version of BlackBerry Internet Services is no longer the differentiator.  RIM will be forced to adapt, sell the company or they will atrophy into the history books! 

BlackBerry WES 2010 - The Inside Scoop!

REGARD had a great trip to Orlando for BlackBerry WES 2010 and we are excited to be back in Santa Monica armed with a whole slew of new tips, tricks and tools that we can't wait to implement for you...

RIM's executives shared a number of inspiring announcements with us regarding BlackBerry 6.0 OS, BlackBerry App World 2.0, new device models and the BlackBerry Super App Challenge.  REGARD is very excited about the myriad possibilities to construct "Super Apps" for the our consumer and enterprise customers!

SUPER APPS: THE CHALLENGE
REGARD always loves a good challenge so we were thrilled to learn about RIM's 2010 BlackBerry Super Apps Developer Challenge with over $1.5 million in prizing!

Super Apps must deliver an engaging experiences for BlackBerry users by offering a seamless, integrated, contextualized and efficient UI. For example, Super Apps are always-on running in the background and listening for specific events, waiting for inbound data and triggering notifications. Super Apps are always-connected and should be tightly integrated with native apps. Using BlackBerry's open API to deliver even more customizable options than before, Super Apps can add custom menu items and data to the message list (or inbox), address book and calendar that can be easily accessed with just one click.

RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis astutely explained that the future success of mobile platforms will rest on quality saying, "It's who has the best apps, not the most."

REGARD has always been committed to providing our customers with the best quality solutions. We are eager to apply our knowledge to construct ground-breaking Super Apps that are stickier and intuitive and make users more efficient, socially connected and overall better looking ;-)  Contact REGARD today to find out how you can be part of RIM's 2010 BlackBerry Super Apps Developer Challenge with a variety of prizes valued as high as $85,000.

BlackBerry 6.0 OS
RIM revealed a sneak peek of BlackBerry 6.0 and highlighted a variety of new features that will improve functionality, productivity and user experience. They've revamped the homescreen and enriched the UI with updated native apps, universal search features, pull down notifications and a new media and music organizer. Another key addition is RIM's WebKit rendering engine which speeds up web browsing and incorporates multi-touch, tabbed browsing and a new favorites system. Aesthetic changes like inertial scrolling and elastic menus throughout polish off RIM's menu of new offerings.

BlackBerry App World 2.0
RIM unveiled its plan for the rejuvenated BlackBerry App World 2.0 (BAW) storefront for buying and downloading software applications which promises to optimize its users' ability to purchase and experience BlackBerry apps. BAW 2.0 provides purchasing freedom with host of new payment options including microtransactions and subscription capabilities that enable developers to capitalize on flexible pricing strategies to maximize their revenue. RIM also promised that they are close to offering carrier and credit card billing options in addition to their current PayPal payment system. The more efficient BAW 2.0 will be Wi-Fi capable, adds account management, search improvements and allows for more enterprise apps in the catalog. Best of all, App World will soon come preloaded on the home screen of all BlackBerry models shipping with version 5.0 or above.

With new ways to monetize, promote and optimize your mobile campaign there has never been a better time to extend your business into the BlackBerry mobile space. Now is your chance to launch your mobile apps to build your mobile reputation before the market becomes flooded with your competition. Be sure you find a trusted BlackBerry Alliance Partner that has stood the test of time to create high-quality, profit-producing apps to improve productivity, save time and increase revenue. Rely on longstanding BlackBerry relationships to help you strategically promote your brand and make a huge impact in the mobile ecosystem.

NEW BLACKBERRY DEVICE MODELS
Slimmer,sleeker, updated and upgraded - the newest devices on the BlackBerry block promise more bells and whistles than ever while maintaining BlackBerry's commitment to superior quality and functionality.

RIM announced the launch of the Blackberry Bold 9650 and the Blackberry Pearl 9100 and 9105. The Bold takes the Tour's place and replaces the dated trackball with an optical pad to easily navigate the 2.4 inch, 480 x 360 resolution display. Additionally, the memory has been doubled from 256MB to 512MB, it supports 3G speeds, has WiFi capabilities and is the first BlackBerry to offer OpenGL support for 3D graphics. Wow!

Not to be outdone, both Pearl devices will get 3G and 802.11 N WiFi support, GPS capabilities, 256MB of flash memory and microSDHC support. They will both be powered by a 624MHz processor. The 9100 retains the slim SureType keypad while the 9105 gets a traditional keypad.

Be the first to launch high-quality, user-friendly, integrated apps for the hot new BlackBerry devices that utilize all their updated capabilities.Partner with a company like REGARD Venture Solutions and be among the first to develop Super Apps - completely integrated, seamless and efficient apps that take your brand to a whole new level. We know what it takes to WIN THE CHALLENGE!  REGARD can increase your brand exposure and set you apart from the competition!

Is BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) a "Killer App?"

Doctor friends always complain about those annoying people at a cocktail parties with the shoulder that hurts. As it turns out, being a Smartphone guru these days may actually be a larger target to annoy. My brother's (an anesthesiologist) favorite answer is, “You should see a doctor about that!” Unlike a doctor, the advice of a Smartphone geek like me carries no liability exposure, so I can't wiggle out of “Which Smartphone is be best for me?” so easily.

After cover what they like and hate about their current Smartphone, the conversations now always turns to apps. Apps have long been my passion, and, yes, way before “mobile apps.” In fact, I gave a speech to an MBA class some years ago about “Killer Apps” and the characteristic that put an app in that category. The acid test that undeniably make for a “Killer App” is… “Would you buy a particular piece of hardware for the purpose of running that app?” The second criteria is similar but subtly different: “If not for that app, would the utility you get from the hardware you purchased be significantly diminished?”

In a number of recent conversation about selecting a new Smartphone, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) was listed as a favorite app. Since BBM relies on the unique BlackBerry 8 character PIN number and the BlackBerry NOC, it is not available on other Smartphones. This caught my attention because in many conversations, the BBM app was turned out to be the pivotal factor for why someone selected BlackBerry over iPhone. In one case, I asked a friend if he was still seeing the same girl. He replied, “it’s strange, once she got an iPhone, we didn’t chat like we did over BBM!” Which in and of itself could make for a good mental health blog entry.

So for those that are unfamiliar with BBM, essentially it is an instant messenger from any BlackBerry in the world to any other BlackBerry in the world free for no additional charge. That is, regardless of if you’re and enterprise user or using consumer Gmail user, you can connect via BBM. Unlike SMS text message, BBM operates like a peer-to-peer IM session. Users can exchange text messages, pictures, short voice notes, files, and even hold a conference (like a chat room). By far my favorite feature of BBM is the check mark with the little “D” denoting the message has been positively delivered to the recipient.

Also, in these frugal times, especially for international communication, BBM provides substantial cost savings over voice of SMS conversations.

Operation Chokehold Highlights the Wrong Pain

The CRN article last week by Kevin McLaughlin, "AT&T Faces Potential 'Operation Chokehold'" discusses Dan Lyons' (a.k.a. the fake Steve Jobs) AT&T customer "call to action" asking they simultaneously launch data hungry mobile apps to overwhelm the NYC AT&T network.  The goal was to shame the carrier into building more capacity.

As McLaughlin quoted me in the 5th paragraph of his article, Lyons displays a fundamental lack of network infrastructure understanding.  I believe, however, with this charade, he is entirely on the wrong side of the chokehold problem.

In my opinion, Apple has created the "chokehold," not the greedy carrier (Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of the carriers, I could go on for pages about their sins, but not my focus here.)  I blame the Apple campaign "There is an app for that!"  While brilliant marketing, the pressure to have the largest number apps in one's app store was the net result and thus the race to the bottom on quality. 

In general, the best written mobile apps utilize the network the least. Understanding, when and how to use the transport is the "Black Magic" of mobile app development.  The shear number of mobile app suddenly available on the iPhone App Store (now in excess of 100,000) tells me that the vast majority do not uphold any quality standard of performance. 


The carriers have gotten so fat on overpriced all-you-can-eat unlimited data plans, that the heavy usage apps are their comeuppance!  You can be sure the price of these plans will adjust to pass the costs along to the consumer.

Considerations Before Building the Next Killer Mobile App

When brands /customers approach REGARD to build a mobile app for them, we are often aksed ..."Would you recommend first developing for iPhone, BlackBerry or Android?"  Our reply always depends on their goals.  That said, we tell them to consider these statistics from the 3 major App Stores:

• 100,000+ iPhone Apps
• 14,000+ Android Apps
• 4,000+ BlackBerry Apps

Brands must consider how well their audiance aligns with the demographic of the various Smartphone products.  Second, how likely is the Smartphone user to find your app among the noise?  I personally have never been a fan of "build it and they will come" ...rather... "Market it and they will come!"

Next consideration is pricing strategy!  As I pointed out in my post for BlackBerry Cool "Conclusions from selling apps..." investing in developing an app is only the beginning of the investment.  You need to consider also the following:

• Pricing Strategy (Free, Free to Premium, Try & Buy or Buy only)
  
• Marketing & Social Media Strategy 
• Planned enhancements (Roadmap)
  
• and, often overlooked, Support
  

All of these factors play into the decision to build a mobile app.  Not that you can't change course once underway, but you must have a plan before you jump on the bandwagon or you the chances of a succcess story in the Mobile App Gold Rush are greatly diminished.