Apple, Google or Microsoft: The Connected Tribe, which will you be a part of?

Last twelve to fifteen months have been eventful in mobile and connected space. The app-business model has revolutionized the connectivity to internet beyond laptops and PCs mutating into multiple screens from smart-feature phones, smartphones, superphones, MIDs, tablets to SMART TVs. As I write this post, just a glance look around myself, I find myself currently surrounded by ten internet connected devices: 2 tablets, 1 e-reader, 1 smartphone, 1 superphone, 1 PC, 1 Mac, 1 network-connected-drive, 1 Set-Top-Box and 1 Smart TV, fighting for my eye-balls. I won’t be surprised if other dumber devices around me would also try to connect to my router in next couple of years. But the issue remains that there are no holistic connections between each of them, different platforms, different accounts to manage, non-standardized content formats to share seamlessly, different software upgrade cycles, etc..



Currently, we are witnessing Apple, Microsoft emerging as the two key players with potential of building future multi-screen ecosystems. Google is another strong contender competing for the third spot if it will be able to replicate its ongoing Android success in smartphones across different screens across different vertical. “Openness” is the key advantage for Google but the consistency of experience of platform across multiple screens still remains to be seen as well as the core business model is “Ad-based” but this will require a whole different level of commitment and expertise from the Search Engine King.

From non-platform-vendors’  perspective other potential technology which can emerge as a winner is HTML5. This powerful web-based technology can be instrumental in building in a whole new ecosystem from a “Clean Slate” for different vendors to deploy solutions, apps and services standardized across all devices. The next in line could be webOS leveraging the intuitive HTML/CSS design harnessing power of HP’s brand to deploy across multiple-screens

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The point I would like to make here is that though consumers might be ready and excited to embrace this connected world. But there are different aspects of the connected ecosystem which might shape the consumer’s decision making in selection of an ecosystem and commitment to the same. There are different points which will determine which ecosystem will be the winner:

1. It will be important to see which ecosystem provides maximum convergence across different screens.

2. The maximum convergence means a unique and compelling user experience which the ecosystem shall provide.

3. The easability in accessing, sharing  and consuming content across the screens/devices will be the other key requirement (ex: cloud based store,push and ubiquitous content availability will be the key enabler)

4. The amount of bandwidth consumed by the ecosystem and whether the ecosystem able to provide cost-advantage to bandwidth providers (ISPs) in order to offer attractively priced data plans to the consumers will be another important factor for determining success of the ecosystem.

5. The upgrade path for the ecosystem as a whole should be well defined for each device in the ecosystem to provide seamless connected experience to the consumer.

In addition to these key factors there are several other factors which every stakeholder in each of the emerging end-to-end connected ecosystem should map out to build successful and loyal future “connected tribes”. For example: inter-tribe communication in how the devices in the ecosystem and users talk to each other,, support provided to the user, the breadth of apps and services to be offered,etc.

So, in future I envision each consumer will be able to choose his/her “Tribe” to gain maximum and seamless experience out of the connected world. So are you the one who will be a part of either “Apple Tribe” or “Google Tribe” or “Microsoft Tribe” or something other?