Who is in a better position to offer the consumer the tech that they want?

Who is in a better position to offer the consumer the tech that they want?

Apple is not just a provider of hardware and software for artists, musicians, and schools. There are a number of businesses that have iPads and support BYOD programs that allow iPhones.

Google is not just a search engine. Because of Android, Google now had a presence in communications (phones and phablets), entertainment (Google Play, possibly a game console), and in business (Android tablets, Google Docs, Chromebooks, and maybe in Google Glass in the future). Google also has a good relationship with schools and businesses with Google Docs and Chromebooks.

Microsoft has announced Bing for schools, offered Surface RT tablets at significantly lowered prices for schools, and increased its ties with schools through the Dreamspark program, Nook Co., and Office 365/Office for Student. Today’s Microsoft is not just about business.

Other companies such as Dell, Samsung, LG, and Asus have also made improvements to their product and service assortments in order to help consumers and businesses.

Who is best positioned to give consumers and businesses what they want and need from technology?

What does mobile mean to your business?

 

Do you have a mobile strategy for your business? A mobile strategy may include a mobile optimized website for phones and tablets. It also might involve an assortment of apps customized so that users can interact with your business and receive information based on where they live. App might even go further so that you can interact with consumers and deliver promotions and incentives to generate excitement and a buying decision.

What kind of mobile strategy does your business have?

We are curious and want to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

Barnes and Noble and the state of their tablet business

The competition for the consumers’ dollars is a tough pursuit in today’s tablet market. There are winners, and there will be losers. Barnes and Noble may be running out of gas as a provider of tablets. Hardware is sold at low margins, so there is not a lot of room to navigate when wanting to offer sales and promotions. Amazon can offer their hardware at a loss because they have been able to monetize a wide spectrum of services, as well as getting the consumer to buy more stuff. Barnes and Noble is mostly limited to books and still supports many physical locations. Without a good return, Barnes and Noble cannot afford to keep up with Amazon and other low cost OEM Android tablets.

Now that Barnes and Noble has a joint venture with Microsoft, Nook Co., it is possible that Nook the brand will morph into an app or set of apps that run on 3rd party machines or on Microsoft Surface slates. What is going to happen? B&N is probably going to exit the tablet business and concentrate on dedicated eReaders, where it does offer a good selection with the simple touch and glow.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/25/technology/mobile/barnes-and-noble-nook/index.html

Sanitized Bing For Schools

Sanitized Bing For Schools

This is a good move for Microsoft, and it is great news for schools, educators, and students. Along with rumblings about offering Windows Runtime(RT) Surface Tablets for very low prices ($199 vs. $399), Microsoft is sending the message that it is willing to compete with Chromebooks, the iPad, and Macbooks for education dollars. All three want users to see their products and services early on so that they develop a brand relationship. Also, by committing to education, the three companies may inspire more students to enter tech, which improves the quality of the workforce.

For years, Apple had developed a great relationship with education institutions because it had offered deals and promotions to schools. Students and teachers used the products and got hooked. Microsoft was viewed as the supporter of business and did not seem to have a cool factor. Offering Bing search that has results that are ad free helps schools offer a product that is not exploitive of children and puts power at their fingertips. Competition is also good because school boards now have a variety of options to help them offer the best education policy possible.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2042822/microsoft-to-sanitize-bing-for-schools.html

XBOX DRM policies reversed

It is important to protect intellectual property rights. Otherwise, if there are no protections for intellectual property, there is no incentive for profit seeking businesses to risk their resources and capital.

This policy was not communicated well, and it ended up being too restrictive. Most users have Internet connectivity, so the policy that states the XBOX One must ping back was not that big a deal (unless you have a console that has been modded). The used game policy, in contrast, was a big deal. Some gamers plan on buying a favored title, winning it, and then selling it so that they can subsidize their game playing habits. The new policies would have affected this strategy because some games would not be able to trade titles at all (depends on the publisher) without the purchaser paying a fee to activate content.

This attempt at changing the relationship between the gamers, publishers, and the console manufacturer is too much too soon. It also played into Sony’s hands. Great move reversing course, but the policy should have been better planned, better executed (value price proposition should have included more value), or it should not have been announced at all.

http://www.techhive.com/article/2042445/microsoft-reverses-policies-on-xbox-one-rentals-online-check-ins-and-region-restrictions.html