Ecosystems - Good or Bad? Which one is for me?

It is truly interesting how the more computing changes, the more it stays the same. Each of the Big 3 computing players with "Ecosystems" for the user all want you to believe that they are the answer.  The search for the all in one solution continues with each making a case for "why us" versus them!

The device-centric approaches are giving way to the Cloud-centric approaches.  There is now more choice than there has ever been, yet people are still swayed by advertising, the herd mentality and the media.

At the core of this issue is a huge payoff for the companies that get you hooked on their ecosystem.  Promises of easier, and faster, never mention cheaper or cost effective.

If you compare the average Americans' spend on communications from 1995 to 2012, it has increased 1,000%.  The promise of making our lives easier to manage and communicate costs the average consumer $1,200 to $1,700 per year. This doesn't include all the accessories and apps that we purchase.  That is now a $100 Billion annual business in the  U.S. alone.

APPLE - They are kings of the consumer.  The marketing behind this ecosystem has lead to i-everything.  Branding is great and the technology is the "grandaddy" of ecosystems with iTunes being the center still after a decade.  What many are unaware of is that many of apples ideas are just better marketed implementations of the same stuff offered by many vendors. Microsoft had tablets very early on that just never caught on due to the technology not being mature enough.  Their single OS approach is admirable, but not necessary as evidenced by Apples success.

GOOGLE-The approach by the search kings has been evolving over time.  Google is offering everything
these days in the cloud, but it is too fragmented to figure out at times.  Their devices have great OS names, like Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean, but the implementations by different phone and tablet vendors doesn't taste as sweet.  Google has a better cloud structure and story than Apple, but devices lag a bit.  They are outselling Apple via Samsung, but the purchase of Motorola confused many.  The issue is that the 3rd party OEMs don't always have the same vision as the software publisher.  This brings us to Microsoft...

MICROSOFT - After 8 tries, they finally have a good phone.  It is the best of their efforts, and Nokia is being revived because of it.  Microsoft is as always in a position to dominate if they can just execute on their ambitious plans. Surface is a great hybrid between laptop and Tablet.  It is a great first effort and it  woke up Acer, Asus, Dell and others to the fact that the market is changing and they better react. Microsoft has been in the cloud business since 1995. They just never saw how to monetize it all until the modern smartphones and tablets came out . Their new Microsoft Accounts are based off of years of experience in online with Hotmail, MSN, and now Office 365.

The Hybrid Approach!
This is where most of us will be. Somewhere between our Windows desktop/laptop and out phones.  Tablets are being used mainly as entertainment devices and will evolve over time. In 1998, I was at a presentation form the Chief Technology Officer of the Tribune Companies. He gave his famous "pockets" speech, taking devices out his pocket that served as phone , computer and book reader. Wow not much as changed...

The single device that does it all is what we are looking for. There are many reasons we don't have it today. Some are technology issues and most are market or marketing driven. Lets face it - they all make more money if we have 1 or 2 , or 3 or 4 or 5 devices!  That is why they have all come out with subscriptions that allow a user to install on up to 5 devices!

What ever you decide, there is power in using as many of these ecosystems as possible.  Free storage, and applications are just a few things to weigh when looking at the platform.  I always ask my clients the simple questions, "What are you going to do with it?" Usual answer is, Internet, email, and documents. Quite frankly you could do that with a toaster!

As we move into the era of  Cloud, BYOD (Bring your Own Device) and storage everywhere, it becomes clear that a concise strategy on how these Eco-systems play in your business is key.  We at The Tech Doctors help small businesses leverage these technologies while supporting your business goals. Call us on the phone of your choice and we ill show you how to leverage all the power it has!