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Mr Operator: Developers are out of date

Started by Ewan · 12 months ago

In a recent conversation on SMS Text News regarding the future of the mobile industry - and in particular where applications and clients were headed - the point was put that “The operators have spent so much money that I just can’t see them letting go very much.”

I beg to differ. We are ‘letting go’, [...] ... Continue reading »

5 comments

  • TerenceEden

    12 months ago

    This is exactly what Vodafone R&D's Betavine is all about. Allowing niche players access to the Vodafone APIs and letting them distribute their apps via web and .mobi.

    The service is currently integrated into Vodafone live for Spanish customers. But anyone can point their browser at Betavine.net and get downloading.

    We're even drinking our own kool-aid by using it to promote our branded applications.

    Applications are really where it's at. We're always going to have some premium apps which we fully support, but we know that letting bedroom developers and other 3rd parties run wild is the best way to create a thriving ecosystem.

    The only way we can make the mobile web a success is by being open. Open protocols, open ideas, open development and, most of all, open minded.
    reply
  • Mike42

    12 months ago

    Hi Terence,

    Betavine has been around for a while - what has come out of it that's been picked up by VF operators around the world? i.e. is it working?

    /m
    reply
  • TerenceEden

    12 months ago

    I'm not sure if we've picked up any specific apps... yet :-)
    We have picked up designs for our new site - see http://www.betavine.net/bvportal/web/guest/aboutus
    Also, as I said before, Vodafone Spain now links directly to the Spanish version of betavine.mobi meaning these developers get exposed to a much larger audience.
    reply
  • MartinSFP

    12 months ago

    "These people will always grumble that MNO’s are too restrictive, too slow, too afraid. Some MNO’s are. People are like that, and people run MNO’s"

    An important point that too many geeks forget!
    reply
  • jamescoops

    10 months ago

    Developers dont need operators anymore now that the walled gardens are down, people are exploring off-portal and data costs are falling. The question is, apart from Apple, who is going to emerge as the search and context provider for mobile applications and services - the operators could do it if they could create proper next generation smart portals but I dont see that happening.
    reply

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