This January, Ubuntu
had just released their new OS, to everyone surprise, its not the new
desktop operating system (that they usually released in April), but
this time a smartphone OS. It is still based on Ubuntu core
technology and design philosophy, but tweaked and redesign to fit
smartphone screen and usage pattern.
And I like to mention
again about the core technology. It is important for us to select
(the right) and develop our core technology (especially if you are
work or own a technology company). If you doing it right, you can
expand your product portfolio easily, well at least, you already has
all the need to create a new product based on it. This Ubuntu case is
another perfect example of having the right core technology that can
be adapted and expanded into another product/form.
Anyway, I would like to
talk about another thing in this share.
As you all know, today,
there are so many smartphone on the market. In term of platform,
today we have 3 major smartphone platform.
They are Apple iOS,
Google Android and RIM Blackberry OS. But, there are other less popular platform. They are Microsoft
Windows Mobile 8, Jolla Sailfish OS and of course Ubuntu.
Before moving on, lets
see the home screen of these Smartphone OS/platform.
Jolla Sailfish OS
Ubuntu for smartphone
Windows Phone 8
The question is, how
they could come with so many different user interface for the same
product called smartphone OS/platform. And..if you want to create
another one smartphone OS, how can we design another one that would
compete, robust, easy to use but quite different?
Different is something
that marketing guru always said all the time. But, how can we make
differentiation? Just make it different from the rest?
Ok, lets find out more
about our case this time.
Back to the smartphone
OS/platform.I think you must already know that each of these
smartphone OS/platform is come from different kind of company, with
their own history, focus, core (again), previous product (some of
them is not event a cellphone company) and services.
This background makes
them have different point of view when considering a perfect
smartphone OS. In my humble opinion, their different point of view is
the main basic enabler to make different product and services for
them. Their point of view is one of the main key for delivering
unique product.
Lets talk about them
one by one. We look again who they are, their history, main product
(past or present) and their character.
Apple
Apple started as a
computer/PC manufacturer. They are famous with their good quality and
ease of use. Apple also known as one of a view PC manufacturer that
also develop their own OS, the MacOS.
In the early 2000's,
they develop a portable music player that will change the world, the
iPod. But, if you closely, its not the iPod that ill change
everything, for me its actually the iTunes. iTunes marks the
beginning of a new era, where a hardware is closely match and tight
with a special locked services system. This combination later on,
will be known as an ecosystem.
In Apple case, this
ecosystem (for them) is an extension of what they believe, to deliver
best possible user experience and ease of use. No wonder, today we
see that the iPod-iTunes ecosystem model is used in all their
product, ie iPhone, iPad and even Mac PC.
Google
Google is an
advertising agency that looks like a search engine company :) well,
at least that is what we know right now.
I think their goals is
to provide search (or we might says, information that matters,
related and needed by its user) that as easy as possible, as quick as
possible and as accurate as possible. And in the dawn of PC era, they
try to bring "the search" to all modern computing platform.
This is why, some
says, is real the reason they develop Android in the first place. To
deliver search to the most personal computing platform, your
smartphone or tablet, first hand without other party as a conductor
(Apple launch Siri in 2011, eliminate the need for iOS devices to go
to Google for any information you needed).
If you follow Google movement, they recently release Google Now and Google Glass. This two product will mark another step to bring related information (tailored just for you) first hand, up and center that almost automatically and feels like magic.
This is Google. From helping you when you want to know something, to have bring something you want to know or needed before you know it.
Blackberry
(previously known as RIM)
Yes, these is the one
that actually a smartphone company. And they are quite unique
actually. They are among the first to offer you both the hardware
(the actual cellphone) and the services (email and BBM). It something
now we know in fancy world as “ecosystem”.
Blackberry core is text
communication – email and bbm. Today when text based communication
is available in various new medium (twitter, facebook, path,
whatsapp, line etc) they embrace them. If you happen to try or have
their new Z10 with Blackberry OS 10, you cloud see all the text
massage is placed into one accessible interface.
In Blackberry OS 10, there is a Blackberry hub that contain all your text based communication
They also known for
very good quality (physical) keyboard, something that very logical
for a text based communication devices. But, in todays screen only
smartphone, the need a better than the rest on screen keyboard.
This is what Blackberry
is. this is why their product looks and behaves that way.
Microsoft
They once ruled the
world with their Microsoft Windows OS and Microsoft Office while back
in the PC era. Today, the world have shifted, people tend to spend
more time and to do more on mobile devices such as smartphone and
tablet.
For Microsoft, they
think that your smartphone and tablet is a PC too, but, generally, we
think a PC is that old big beige box or your heavyweight laptop. And
they losing the market mindshare.
Today they try to
repositioning their Windows OS to make it relevant with todays mobile
devices with touchscreen trend. All that devices is a PC, but with a
new kind of interaction and form factor, so they should run on top of
Windows OS. They result, you can look and feel it on new Windows 8.
Im sure almost no one
know about this company. This is a new smartphone OS/platform
company, build by ex Nokia engineer (that once work for Nokia killed
Maemo/Meego Linux based smartphone OS) that got fired by Mr Elop
(Nokia current CEO).
Guys and girls at Jolla
believe in Maemo/Meego mobile Linux platform, and the Qt based core
technology. So, they continues the development of the platform, and
build the company for it.
Ubuntu is a company
build by Mark Shuttleworth,
he is a self made millionaire and private astronaut from South
Africa. He found Ubuntu base on believe that Linux (or opensource
software ) should be part of everyday lives. We also heard they said
that Ubuntu is a Linux for human being.
It started as a Linux
distribution company for server use (much more like Redhat or Suse),
but along the way has transform beyond that with their own unique
technology and approaches. Now they produces Linux based desktop
operating system for your PC or laptop (that you can download and
install for free) and offer various cloud based services.
Part of their believe
that Linux is for human being and be part of our everyday lives, as
of last year (if im not mistaken) Mark Shuttleworth
proposed that Ubuntu will expand their presence in todays computing
devices or smart devices. The first product that shows up is the
Ubuntu for smart TV, then for smartphone and the last one Ubuntu for
tablet.
Ubuntu will soon have OS for every new generation of computing devices, and so does Microsoft (and Blackberry too says some rumours)
Now, can we see it?
Their different point
of view and believe makes them have different product for the same
product.
Is this the same as
differentiation?
Not quite. I think
there are some similarity with the concept of “product
differentiation”, only that product differentiation usually came
from marketing team. They tend to look at the market, measuring,
mapping,talked with people of some product good, bad and preferences.
After that, they try to find a “hole” in the market, and filled
it with a new product.
I don't says that this
approach is bad or not working. This approach actually works for many
company. But, from my limited exploration, I see that this approach
usually came up with product variant (style, material or sets of
feature) or try to enter a new segment (price point) for the same
product.
On the other hand, the
company with strong believe and have unique point of view for
something, usually can came up with more original product. They can
even bring a totally new kind of product that never exist before.
But of course, like all
product and invention, for one to success, there are more variable
that the two approach i write about. The history is full of a product
that came up from the founder believe and point of view, and some of
them fail, just like any other business.
So, do you have your
own believe and unique point of view?
