The world has witnessed in the last couple of weeks some major and long-awaited events like F8, Amazon, and Apple events and Google subtle intro of new product features. And when the internet society is bragging about privacy issues, expressing awe for Kindle Fire, disappointment about not seeing iPhone 5, and barely noticing Google Analytics Premium, the focus is rather far than what just actually happened.
CONTENT and features enabling it to be served – this is my not so humble opinion. All of the major big guys did just that among other things in the past few weeks. But let’s take it happening by happening:
F8 – Facebook annual conference and what it is actually a gradual and constant improvement of user experience. I am not going to debate whether that UX is what you or your friends want. But the fact is that very few people have in mind that everything published online stays there. It is the same way with the words that come out of your mouth and are heard by the standing people. It does not go away and if it does, someone will be sure to remember it. With the Timeline feature, Facebook just offers another way to access every single posting one has made on this particular platform. Here we come to the notion of Reusable Content that is part of every other major online presence nowadays. Maybe it could have been implemented in other ways, but none the less it is a sum of all one has posted and it offers exactly what Facebook stands for from the very beginning – your face and connecting and keeping up to speed the people you want to stay in touch with. Period.
Amazon.com finally went to the next level and introduced Kindle Fire the future of streamlining its product offering to you (the User) in one single device that can fit in your pocket. And no it is not an iPad killer. It is an Amazon product-centered offering where you can have your bookshelf, music, and movie library and a touch of web browsing capability through Silk (the new browser). Amazon and Apple play for different turfs and with different balls. So no matter what the press is telling you and the seeming overlaps, it all comes to you to decide which ball game/cloud suits you best. Here, I will make a small detour and ask you something. Have you noticed how Amazon has executed its product launch strategy online? Did you notice that whenever Jeff Bezos introduced a product, Amazon’s official Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channels went immediately life with product teasers/ads? The wait for this kind of Kindle was worth, at least by seeing that they got their digital strategy more than right. And yes, Jeff, you will be selling millions of these!
Apple’s “Let’s talk iPhone” – many are focused on the lack of iPhone 5 when they should be focused on the iPhone 4 on steroids, the true diamond Siri, the BBR Messenger competitor, Newsstand and iOS5. It is a breakthrough in mobile phone offerings and some time will pass before any other company offers something that can be called a “competitor”. It is about user-centered content served in the best possible way. And enabling it is not an easy job. This is why Apple charges so much for their mobile device. So next time when you see “Let’s talk iPhone”, maybe you should also consider features and the inside, rather than the appearance.
Google Analytics Premium & Realtime launch went a little bit under the radar. I am actually glad that since Larry got the wheel of the company went back to its initial garage mode. There are so many enhancements (Panda for one), new features, and Google product connecting going on right now and you don’t hear the company bragging about it. And they shouldn’t cause a truly useful for the user product should speak for itself and not having someone overselling it in the blogs, papers, TV and other media. I love my Omniture’s Online Marketing Suite at work, but it does not beat the simplicity and rapidness of finding the information I need in no time with Google Analytics. Besides, almost everyone is on Google Adwords and other products from this company, that something other than Google’s stuff for analysis makes user experience going through hoops.
We are way over the gadget issues we’ve had in the past. Now it is time for streamlined syndicated content and gives the user exactly what he/she needs – connectivity, the right stuff at the right moment, and in one single device or the cloud. Mark is Mark, Jeff is Jeff, Tim is Tim, and Larry and Sergey are Larry and Sergei. So are the thousands of subordinates that make things happen. None of them is Steve Jobs and they really shouldn’t. All they should do is to follow the steps of a man who realized long before anyone else that user experience and content in the future.
Care to contradict?
Image source: Facebook, Apple, Amazon.com & Google websites
Copyright © 2011 Borislav Kiprin. All Rights Reserved.
