Inalign's Blog

Remember years ago when companies were just getting into the ‘internet’ and they started to put their URL into every ad? Print ads, TV ads, whatever, their URL would show up.

Now, the change is to promote the iPhone app. Just another indicator that the iPhone is taking over the world.

For example, Pizza Hut now has an ad on TV that promotes ordering pizza via their iPhone app. The ad doesn’t even talk about pizza or why their’s is better-it just promotes a new convienent way to order. (As a side note, some of Apple’s iPhone TV ads show the Pizza Hut app as an option on the iPhone).

Ease of ordering is still king!

With big companies like Target, BestBuy, eBay, and Amazon all having iPhone apps, you have to start to wonder how much traffic is going to move from the traditional desktop browser to a mobile app.

Another strategy for mobile that seems to be gaining steam is the concept of the mobile-web application. Unlike an iPhone app, which is written specifically for the iPhone and downloaded from Apple’s app store, a mobile-web application runs in a browser on a phone.

The Safari browser comes installed on the iPhone, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car has a wonder mobile-web application than looks very nice in Safari and lets you, among other things, rent a car.

The added benefit of the mobile-web approach is that the same app could run on the Android or some other mobile device, and you don’t have to worry about developing code for one particular device.

Either way, what we’re seeing is more sales channels. Companies are giving consumers even more ways to order their products and services.

Nothing special, just some links relating to the iPhone:

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/index.action

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/welcome/

http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/mobileAppsTracking.html

Two very interesting articles:

AT&T exec implies iPhone exclusivity in U.S. ending

iPhone close to overtaking BlackBerry as most popular smartphone

The first bit of news is what everyone who is not on AT&T is waiting to hear-when can they get the iPhone on their favorite network (for me, it’s Verizon). The end of the exclusivity can only mean good things for the iPhone-more and more sales. For developers like us, it will mean more and more users that can download our iPhone applications.

The second article is equally promising for the iPhone-it will take over BlackBerry someday. Not if, but when. The article also goes on to point out that the number of smart phone users has increased as well. That’s the news that I find even more interesting. The conversion from cell phones to smart phones means more people are doing more on their mobile device.

Target and BestBuy both have iPhone applications now. Target’s is a little more useful, it knows which store you’re in, and can tell you the aisle that a product is in as well. You can see the future where people no longer as a sales associate where something is, they just punch it up on their iPhone. The Target app let’s you read reviews, see product details, etc.  Now I wish my local grocery store had the same thing, I can never find the yeast.

The iPhone is turning out to be one of the most popular gadgets out there. Everyone is asking about developing apps on the iPhone. There hasn’t been this much corporate buzz about a new development platform since SharePoint 2007 (and that buzz kindof fizzled).

The iPhone’s success will be driven by the apps-it’s all about the software. Anyone who has the iPhone has a few favorite apps that love to talk about and share.

Here’s a cool one that we found recently: you can access LogMeIn on the iPhone. Doesn’t everyone need that?

https://secure.logmein.com/products/ignition/iphone/

It surprises alot of people when I tell them I have a Mac. We’ve been shouting about how wonderful Microsoft is (specifically .NET, SQL Server 2005, SharePoint, and CRM) that people assume we would never touch anything non-Microsoft. Truth is, we’ve spent far more time in non-Microsoft technologies than Microsoft. But few people want to hear about PowerBuilder so I rarely bring it up.

The move to Microsoft was mainly business, not personal. As shocking as this sounds, most companies we do business with, want Microsoft. Also, many other development languages and platforms (PowerBuilder, ColdFusion) are dying off. Microsoft was a good bet, they’re still around. The .NET platform continues to grow and impress.

The iPhone has lit a fire under more CEOs than I can count. Everyone seems to have one. It’s the ‘in’ thing. Probably rightfully so, it’s a better experience, it is cool, and you can get a lot of apps on it. I do find my Windows Mobile device a little dull.

The main reason why I haven’t switched is Verizon; I have taken my phone all over the country and the coverage is great. I hear luke-warm responses about AT&T’s phone and broadband coverage.

Nonetheless, it’s time to get an iPhone. Instead of getting rid of Verizon (I just can’t part with them yet), I will just have two phones. I am mainly getting the iPhone for development anyway, I hope to crash it early and often.

Development on the iPhone reminds me of the Palm (did alot of Palm development back in the day). The tools are different but not new and the language follows suit.

Looking forward to many more posts about this experience!