New Media goes mobile: successful products from the global App Tree: “Evolution or Revolution ?”

In the recent past the evolution of IT or better ICT is a real (r)evolution from big stand alone computers to the connection of some of them to the Internet or other networks, starting to exchange data and the introduction of the web technology. Previous inventions, such as the telegraph, the telephone, the radio, and the computer itself, set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. Even the future evolution of such an innovation is into a degree unpredictable; will the global network be a mixture of networks (wired, wireless, satellite, sensors, peer-to-peer, private, phone and other appliances)? This includes some major revolutions. A part from stand alone to ubiquitous always on, there is now a kind of info and service “sphere” all around. Moreover, there is a shift from top down info and services to bottom up: With new devices like iPhone or iPad people just click and receive a specific service, tailored for their needs. Then, there is the shifting from “stand alone” users to communities, which is a complete different concept to work together and to contribute. Many people and companies are thinking about this way to provide useful content and are asking people, consumers, “prosumers” to contribute in order to set up interesting services. So, we passed from a “lack of content” to user generated content. One of the side effects, is the "15 minutes of fame" -- an expression coined by Andy Warhol. "Celebrities" in the 21st century can now be famous simply by being in the right place at the right time. The social Web did the rest (Flikr, Twitter, Myspace, YouTube, FaceBook, Picasa, etc). As regards competition between different media, we already saw in the past that new technology will not completely reduce the market of the previous technologies. There will probably be different arrangement and a balance between the old solution and the new one that rearranges the market. Social networking is the “active” brother of peer to peer approach. As peer to peer communication and information interchange is the realm where "All the users are equal" social networking is the realm where "All the users are authors/contributors". Nowadays we are experimenting the start up of a completely new way to use computers and write software. One of the significant innovations in this period has been activated by Apple introducing the iPhone before and more significantly introducing the iPad concept. Even if the basic idea is dated long time ago even before the iTunes on line shop different companies thought about online software market selling or even hiring software components thanks to the network. The two basic innovation aspects introduced by Apple are a seamless hardware/software access to network content and services and a new way to sell and buy software in a digital market arena. Let's start from the last one, the way in which it is conceived the Apps delivery platform facilitates the exchanges and re-opens the market to single software developers sometimes competing for their own 15 minutes of fame reaching the top of the hit parade sometimes looking for business opportunities. This mechanism changed the market approach moving this software market segment closer to other media markets such as music and. movie. Looking more in detail to the Apps philosophy from the user point of view. Ninety per cent of the information accessible through the Apps is already available on the Internet so which is the revolutionary concept? The key of success of the Apps is the ease of use, the idea to provide one specific service in a very practical and easy to understand way. It is a kind of extension of the iPod concept one device specifically designed in order to provide one service or fulfill one task, no compromises. The Apps are a "filter" between the “ocean” of content laying on the Internet and the user. In addition a set of tight rules defined by Apple ensures software quality standards and security. The Apps Market looks more similar to music and movie, there are trailers hit parade Apps of the week, etc. Back to the first aspect mentioned, seamless access is relevant as well in this scenario because the service-sphere offered by iPhone and iPad perfectly fits both with the “disappearing computers” and the “information at your fingertips” concepts. such a shift in the perception of the service provision opens a new scenario where the so called "digitally divided" are probably less or no more “divided”.