Developers: Wireless wants you.
At least, that’s the message coming from many of the largest players in the wireless industry. Companies from Microsoft Corp. to Nokia Corp. to Verizon Wireless are investing both cash and manpower into enticing content and application developers into the market. The reasons behind such efforts vary, but the goal is ultimately the same: getting end users to pay for wireless data applications and services.
“There’s a whole economy within the development of wireless applications,” said Paul Palmieri, director of multimedia business development for Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest carrier.
Indeed, there are a surprising number of layers to the wireless content and application marketplace. First, programmers hammer out the underlying code behind an application. Then wireless publishers scoop up that application and shop it around to interested sellers, including wireless carriers, handset makers and other third parties. And in some cases, porting companies then modify the application for various devices and then testing companies ensure it works properly. Sometimes one company will handle all of these activities, and sometimes a separate player will do each.
Thus, the market for wireless content is a complex one. However, add in the fractured nature of the wireless industry-which spans platforms and technologies from Java to Symbian to Windows to WAP-and the complexities increase exponentially.
The convoluted nature of the market has given rise to a variety of “developer communities,” organizations sponsored by the likes of Nokia, Microsoft and Verizon Wireless in an effort to simplify the market and flesh out the number of available wireless applications. These efforts typically provide technical and business assistance to application developers, as well as a means to sell applications to end users.
“What we want to do is really make it easy for those Visual Studio developers … to make applications for mobile devices,” said Irwin Rodrigues, lead product manager in Microsoft’s mobile devices business.
Microsoft has a significant and growing wireless developer effort. Indeed, the massive success of the company’s Windows operating system is largely due to applications from third-party developers, and Microsoft is looking to employ a similar strategy in its wireless efforts.
Rodrigues said Microsoft counts a staggering 7 million Visual Studio developers. Visual Studio is Microsoft’s main development environment for Windows, which application vendors use to create software for desktop computers. Last year, Microsoft added new technology to Visual Studio that allows developers to modify their Windows applications to work on wireless devices running Microsoft’s Smartphone and Pocket PC operating systems. “That’s really key,” Rodrigues said.
Microsoft said 380,000 developers are working on applications for the company’s Smartphone and Pocket PC operating systems. Further, 9,000 developers are registered under its Mobile Solutions Partner Program, which supplies development marketing and technical support. Microsoft also offers its Mobile2Market program, which connects wireless developers with carriers and other sales channels. There are 650 different applications available through Mobile2Market and a total of 12,000 through Microsoft’s Mobile Solutions Partner Program.
Although the overt goal of Microsoft’s developer program is to help participating developers make money, its true purpose is to help promote and sell Microsoft’s platforms and software products. Other companies, including Nokia, Symbian, PalmSource Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc., manage similar developer programs with much the same goal-to encourage sales of their respective platforms.
Nokia, the world’s largest mobile-phone maker, has so far signed up 1.3 million developers since it launched its developer program in 1996. The program covers Symbian, Java, short message system and multimedia messaging system technologies-essentially all the platforms supported in Nokia phones. Much like Microsoft’s Mobile2Market program, Forum Nokia and Nokia Tradepoint connect developers and applications with carriers and other distribution channels worldwide. Nokia said more than 2,500 applications are available through its developer programs.
Sun and Symbian’s developer efforts are somewhat related to Nokia’s because Nokia phones support both Sun’s Java platform and Symbian’s operating system. Sun’s developer efforts are primarily funneled through its newly redesigned Java.com Web site and now include a certification program. Symbian operates a similar, albeit smaller program, and counts a total of 2,000 Symbian applications.
PalmSource, the company behind the Palm OS, competes against operating system rivals like Symbian and Microsoft. PalmSource too has a significant developer effort aimed at increasing the number of Palm OS applications and thereby selling more Palm-based devices. PalmSource counts more than 275,000 registered Palm OS developers and more than 20,000 Palm OS applications. The company also sells Palm applications through its PalmSource software store at www.palmsource. com/software and through its over the-air-service at www. palmsource.com/mobile.
While most developer communities in wireless are focused around a particular platform or operating system, such as Java or the Palm OS, other developer efforts are centered on profits-regardless of the technology. For example, Verizon Wireless operates a notable developer community and counts “thousands” of registered participants.
“We really see developer affinity as an important thing,” said Verizon’s Palmieri. “We pride ourselves as taking the most open approach.”
Palmieri said Verizon focuses on applications for SMS, Palm devices, Pocket PC devices, Qualcomm Inc.’s BREW platform and others. He said the carrier looks for applications for both consumers and business users. Further, Palmieri said Verizon is focused on “tangible” business opportunities and describes the carrier’s efforts as a “whole business process” rather than just a developer program.
The rest of the nation’s carriers have similar developer efforts. AT&T Wireless Services Inc., for example, counts 12,000 registered developers in its AWE Developer Program, and a total of 26,500 applications are certified for its network.
Most developer communities are primarily fueled by Web sites and Internet information. However, most companies also conduct developer events and conferences. Nokia routinely holds developer events in various areas of the world, while PalmSource’s recent developer conference in San Jose, Calif., drew more than 1,000 people and developers.
“We’re helping them make money,” explained Microsoft’s Rodrigues.
