You will quickly see that these very large companies are putting up hard earned dollars to provide a means for anybody with software development ability to make money by providing innovative applications to the service provider customers. Of course, the service providers take a cut and gain many other advantages also.
Not to be outdone, the manufacturers are getting in on this also, although it is a significantly different business model.
Blackberry and Apple (even Nokia) can easily be placed in a class of their own. They all offer (or are about to offer) a means of purchasing applications directly from their website.
What does all this add up to?
It adds up to huge potential for innovation with the benefits flowing to the service providers, the manufacturers, the software developers and the consumers. This means that organizations and individuals can develop and publish software to a very large marketplace. That marketplace will determine the level of success by downloads and purchases. The service providers provide the network and the platform along with revenue collection and distribution.
This will evolve fast.
I expect to revise the categories that have been set up. The focus will certainly be on the developer and not some much on the various business models. the business models only will only be taken into account when it has an impact on the developer and the choices they need to make.
For now, check out these developer sites. Can you figure what you need to do?
