Tech Integrations: When Will Enough Be Enough?

In the world of technology, it is never enough. There is a pressing demand for more, and when there is more, then the need for an entirely new creation. Today, Apple is experiencing this sort of pressure. Despite launching several new product and feature launches at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2012, where even critics admitted they exceeded those launched during the previous conferences, there was plenty of dissatisfaction expressed from within the industry.

It has been exactly one year since Apple integrated Twitter into their iOS5 platform. The question that arose at the time was why they chose Twitter over Facebook. Now it’s déjà vu, except this time it is why Facebook and not Google plus. The former was understandable: Twitter, even with its 200 million users at the time, was no match for Facebook’s 700 million users. Various explanations, some of them outlandish were given by analysts for this decision as:

• Facebook in comparison was far more complex because of its and myriad features and services
• Apple had a fallout during negotiations with Facebook
• Windows Phone 7 had been the first smartphone to integrate Facebook and Apple did not want to play second fiddle
• Apple needed more time to prepare for the world’s largest social network

The last assumption sounded most plausible and proved to be correct, as Apple announced Facebook integration featured in their up and coming iOS6 platform during this year’s WWDC. Their rejection of Google services has been pretty much outright, not only of their social services but also of their applications, ousting the popular Google Maps and bringing in their own version of mapping technology.

While bitter rivalry turns to friendship and vice versa in the business world, at least Apple is keeping their priorities intact by providing the largest ground for mobile application developers to delve into. But it’s the second party apps, that is, the end users that are primarily running the show successfully. And if Apple keeps in tune with their demands for iPhone applications, then they will continue to provide as many options as possible. Where iOS5 users felt confined to Twitter, they now have Facebook, but they also want LinkedIn and Google+ and some lesser known social media as well to be available. For now, the line is pretty much drawn. In their own right, it makes sense for the company to withhold their own. But not for long, experts believe, when Google will find their way in tomorrow, as Facebook has done today and Twitter did yesterday, provided of course, Google remains in the league. Then integration may be the only way out for Apple yet again.

Salman Ghaznavi Found this Post on SocialJitney.Com

Salman Ghaznavi is the founder of SocialJitney Inc. a company focused on Mobile Application Marketing and tool Design & Development. SocialJitney is one of the premium Mobile Apps Consultants, and My role is to actively pursue a global strategy, create and help roll-out  SocialJitney social tool, the SJ Pathways.