Plea to Microsoft: Do Not Become More Like Apple

by Holly Shoemaker

Microsoft will continue to make news with its upcoming release of Windows 8. Last week, Steve Ballmer, the company’s CEO, said he could envision the company becoming more like Apple. In his annual letter to shareholders, Ballmer said the company may decide to build its own smartphones to complement the upcoming Surface, the company’s first tablet. 

Concluding Thoughts

While I understand the need to compete, consumers do not need another Apple, and Microsoft will need to analyze how its current partnership with Nokia affects it standing in the smartphone market. It will also need to see how successful Windows 8 is with consumers.

I still maintain Microsoft will better position itself by filling the market gap left by Research In Motion (RIM). Despite its intentions to relate more to individual consumers, gaining strength on the business-to-business (B2B) side has strategic merit as we see with Nokia and its map app platform. With Windows 8 approaching, Microsoft should think more about the opportunity to promote its new Windows Phone and the Surface, but on a B2B scale.

Nokia's B2B Focus Takes Map App War in New Direction

by Holly Shoemaker

Nokia’s recent announcement that it will continue to leverage its maps and locations platform by licensing its technology to Oracle will help Nokia build a niche with business-to-business (B2B) customers. It could also assist the company with its financial and perception problems in the smartphone industry.

Nokia Reaches B2B Clients

Opus Research reported that mobile advertisements associated with maps or locations made up approximately 25 percent of the $2.5 billion spent on ads in 2012, with the figure expected to grow as mapping technology does.

While Nokia formed a deal with Groupon in August, the company’s map offerings to large corporations holds a distinct advantage over Apple and Google, companies that focus more reaching individual consumers. Currently, more than 110 countries use Nokia’s turn-by-turn directions compared to 56 countries for Apple and 39 countries for Google Maps.

By partnering with a large company like Oracle, Nokia shows what its Location Platform offers to corporations. Oracle gains the ability to combine Nokia’s mapping capabilities with its own software. Nokia also retains a good position because it owns, builds and distributes its mapping content. Furthermore, Nokia does not require a data connection to run its location-based applications.

Concluding Thoughts

This is a good strategic move for Nokia, and the company makes the most out of its acquisition on Navteq, which it acquired in 2007. To date, Nokia’s location and commerce unit makes up four percent of its revenue. As the company continues to enter into agreements with large Internet companies, Nokia escalates the map app war in a new direction. It also makes a statement when a competitor ditches its own maps for Nokia - that is what Microsoft did with Bing Maps. The company showcases Nokia’s Location Platform on its Windows 8 phones.

Apple Issues Insincere Map App Apology: No Plans to Offer Google Map Equivalent

by Holly Shoemaker

Today, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook issued a letter of apology to customers to address the disappointment and performance of its iOS 6 Apple Maps.

Overview of Apology

Apple apologized for the frustration its map app has caused, and said the company continues to work on improving functionality.

In the letter, Time Cook had no choice but to mention the option of using other apps until Apple addresses all issues – the letter even mentions Google Maps and Nokia Maps. However, Microsoft’s Bing gains the first mention, showing that Apple will not go out of its way to admit its mistake of splitting with Google Maps too soon.

Concluding Thoughts

Apple’s apology does not come across sincere. Instead of sticking to an apology, the company took the time to praise itself on the number of people using iOS 6, and stated that customers have searched for half a billion locations.

The letter should do little to diminish people’s frustrations with the application and its latest operating system. The numbers also do not equate to success when people retrieve incorrect information from the app. Furthermore, a letter of apology does not change the outcome that Apple has no equivalent product to Google Maps, which used to come as the default map app on previous iPhones. On Tuesday, Google confirmed that it had not submitted a map app to the Apple’s Apple Store. 

Apple prematurely severed its ties with Google here – being Apple only gets the company so far. It will have to quickly deliver an updated and tested application to its loyal customers. If not, Android and other products like Nokia Maps will continue to gain more customers.

iPhone 5 Debuts Strong, but Map App a Mess

by Holly Shoemaker

The iPhone 5 debuted strongly today with long lines in many locations. An analyst estimated that demand for the new device was 70 percent greater than when the iPhone 4S debuted. Apple is expected to sell eight million smartphones over the weekend, and the strong showing has once again upped the company’s stock.

Apple Map Issues

Despite the hype and the sentiment from consumers that they just need to have one, all is not well with the device, especially when it comes to maps. The iPhone 5, and the new iOS 6 that became available earlier in the week, now uses Apple Maps. Apple announced at its annual developer’s conference in June that it would drop Goggle Maps as the default map application.

The strategic move to further distance the company from Google has users concerned and mocking the company on this humorous website. Here people may view some of the map errors that have appeared from using Apple's new application. The errors show incorrect directions, multiple state capitols and faulty search results.

Concluding Thoughts

Apple prematurely dropped Google Maps, an application that worked well. Just because Apple can do something does not mean it should, and without more testing. While the company has asked for patience, some of its errors are dangerous. Apple listed a working farm in Dublin, Ireland as a residential airport. In this case, the pictures speak for themselves, and the point goes to Google. Map enthusiasts may also check out Nokia Maps. Nokia escalated the map app war when it announced in August that it would partner with Groupon.