Will Apple iCloud, iOS 5 be Worth the Hype?
Apple made some serious announcements at WWDC 2011, as always. The new software from Apple, including Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and iCloud, will be released this fall. And in addition to just representing some new milestones for the electronics giant, all this latest software finally addresses something Apple should’ve taken care of a long time ago.
GigaOm asked a number of independent developers how they feel about the launches, and the new notification system was the most overdue announcement in their eyes. The new and overhauled system is a welcome addition, and comes alongside the refreshed messaging mechanism – iMessage, replacing the aging iChat.
The things about iMessage, as ZDNet’s Jason O’Grady noted, is that it’s carrier agnostic. While users of the service will need a data plan, the SMS/MMS service is free when communicating with other IOS devices. “This means that the exorbitant SMS/MMS fees carriers charge are thing of the past — when you message other iOS 5 users. Although Apple’s only announced iMessage for iOS 5 so far, I suspect that it won’t be long before it rolls out for Mac OS X Lion as well. Think of it as FaceTime for messages.”
iMessage certainly has its benefits for the end user, but carriers and developers may not feel the same level of excitement. The fact that Apple is releasing native feature that competes with its own developer community means some may take a hit. However from a different angle, this could in theory (and most likely will) motivate many developers to offer apps above and beyond what Apple has to offer, thus further strengthening the iOS ecosystem.
Another major announcement (and definitely the one that attracted the most attention) is the launch of iCloud. Some expected Apple to release a completely streamlined and integrated personal cloud encompassing all of its mobile line-up. iCloud certainly has the potential to do so, but there’s no way of knowing how useful iCloud can be until it’s released this fall. There was a high level of excitement around Apple’s MobileMe launch last year, but one users dug into the cloud-based management tool, several issues were discovered.
Apple’s strong suit has never been the cloud, though it’s remained an important aspect of Apple’s overall product offering. As with many device-oriented companies, Apple is seeking the best route towards monetizing cloud services, regaling access as the key to its business future. For further analysis of Apple’s new approach to the cloud, check out Kristen Nicole’s coverage of WWDC 2011 here.
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