The App Store Fever!!

‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ is probably the mantra for all the iPhone Rivals. I don’t blame them, with estimated revenues of US$50 million to $100 million from the app store, I would be enticed to do the same (maybe, I will! :))

Well, one thing Apple has going for it is the fact that the app store caters to only one handset model (and the ipod touch, but that too has the same o/s)! I can’t think of any other device maker who has generated so much hype, revenue from just one product (slight variants have released but it still is just the iPhone).

I believe that this is one advantage and a big driver in the success of the App store that many rivals are overlooking. Think about it, the mega project- Nokia OVI (which launched early last week) is already experiencing the problems associated with catering to a bazillion handsets and to offer a consistent great customer experience. Running the OVI operationally is going to be one uphill task. We all remember what happened to Preminet, NGage Arena etc...

The other App store that has all the marketing and money muscle behind it is the soon to be released Vodafone App store. Well, being in the business, I can’t begin shuddering about the complexity of the Vodafone App store business. It will have to cater to the largest universe of handset models ever, offer a great seamless experience and simultaneously not antagonize its subscribers with messages stating that their handsets don’t support the ‘cool’ apps (dont know about you but I sure do get a lot of those messages on various wap portals and it really dissapoints me).

Still, it’s very exciting. If the Vodafone app store does succeed, and I hope it does, it will bring back the spotlight on the mobile operator as the driver of the mobile entertainment and lifestyle space, not just a dumb pipe. With its traditional strengths of distribution, billing and subscriber relationships, it has half the battle won.