Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 23 May 2008 11:53
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
If only Microsoft was doing this in the software
itself! I mean, it’s certainly wonderful that the ‘open’ nature of
Microsoft’s platforms means that anyone can write software for
consumers, phone manufacturers and operators to do what Microsoft won’t
or can’t.
But this kind of user
interface and content delivery mechanism is something Microsoft should
have nailed long ago, rather than giving us an interface that really
hasn’t massively changed all that much since Windows CE 1.0, which I
remember using on the Philips Nino and Casio Cassiopeia handheld Pocket
PCs of the day.
So, what does Spb’s CEO have to say about his
new software, and the opportunities it presents to consumers, phone
manufacturers and operators?
Sebastian-J Schmidt, Spb
Software’s CEO, was quick to explain why Spb had come all the way to
Australia to showcase his company’s solutions at the local CeBIT expo.
Schmidt
said that: "The demand for mobile services is strong throughout the
world. In Australia, we're now actively seeking partnerships with
innovative mobile carriers, and believe that Spb Online Shell will
resonate well here, since Australia is an early adopter of 3G and
streaming content for mobile devices."
Vassili Philippov, Spb
Software’s COO also alluded to the extreme data usage generation of
iPhone users, an example of just how much people are willing to use the
Internet on the go with a device that makes such usage insanely simple
and actually affordable.
Philippov said that: "Not all
services are created equal and success is not just about functionality.
It ultimately is about the end user experience. We have seen a few
million iPhones generate more web traffic than all the other
web-enabled smartphones put together, so Spb understands that in any
delivery, the 'how' is just as important as the 'what'.”
Spb
clearly thinks its opportunities are immense, as it plans to set up a
“separate business entity” just to look after the online mobile
services division so it can “adequately service its partners”, and
while that doesn’t seem terribly necessary to me, hey, I’m just a
journalist that isn’t privy to Spb’s internal structure and real
reasons for a whole new company.
So who does Spb already work with? Are they new on the scene or already well established under the radar? Please read on.
