iPhone 3G and App Store: The Long Tail

Much has been written about the new iPhone 3G released by Apple last week. While it is a great device, attention should be paid to the release of the App Store. The App Store can be installed through an iTune update, and allows you to buy and install applications on your new iPhone. This is a major achievement for Apple and more importantly for the developer community. I wrote about such an environment back in 2006: "harness the millions of developers to work on creating value for your network, bring the new media content to your subscribers' handsets".

I'm very curious to see the number of applications (good and bad) that will be made available to the public. I won't try to forecast that number but it will be another order of magnitude to what carriers could bring to market. I believe we will see a true example of The Long Tail where consumers will be offered a large (huge) selection of applications at a very low price.

Endwave Receives Award for Manufacturing Innovation

I can't tell you how I felt watching one of our customers getting not one but two awards for what they have achieved as a result of using our software.















Congratulations to the Endwave team!

Omnitrol Networks Named a "Cool Vendor" in Manufacturing by Leading Industry Analyst Firm

In their recent report, Dan Miklovic and Andrew Hughes designated Omnitrol Networks as a “Cool Vendor” for Manufacturing. The Omnitrol Networks’ Work-In-Process tracking application software provides connectivity, real-time operational visibility and workflow management on the shop floor for business leaders and manufacturing plant managers.

According to the report, “Manufacturers with operations that include processes that are not fully automated should consider a combination of hardware and software solutions to provide end-to-end process integration.” Moreover, “Manufacturers have traditionally been receptive to using small vendors that bring innovation and leading-edge functionality, particularly at the plant level.”

Gartner defines a cool vendor as a company that offers technologies or solutions that are: Innovative, enable users to do things they couldn't do before; Impactful, have, or will have, business impact.

Microsoft Proposes Acquisition of Yahoo!

Let's look at the numbers: $44.6 billion in cash and stock (62% premium to current trading price). This is on par with the carriers acquisitions we have seen in the past.

Yahoo, you should take this offer and run. Nobody else can make you a better offer and you don't stand a chance to make it on your since you haven't had any significant innovation in the last few years that can threaten Google's domination in the search area (if this is your space?). You are in a slow decline and I don't see a leader emerging to take over the company and make the changes needed. Anyone trying to make the required drastic changes would go against the board that probably doesn't want this kind of changes.

Microsoft, you have a huge amount of cash but nothing in the works that can produce growth on the scale needed by your shareholders. Yahoo is a falling knife that you are trying to catch. This seems the only options, but I can't imagine how many start-ups or smaller companies you could evaluate, purchase, and develop with $44 billion dollars. Far more difficult but so much more rewarding.

Omnitrol Networks selected by Endwave for automated RFID-based manufacturing tracking solution

Another great success story for our customers and Omnitrol Networks. Endwave’s Defense and Security business unit is a supplier to both the defense electronics and homeland security industries. As such, their products are under intense scrutiny since they are components of mission-critical systems that are essential to safety and success. Furthermore, key defense contractors and the Department of Defense are starting to request real-time visibility on order status to improve the performance of their own lean manufacturing process. The project focused on automating work-in-process visibility on the assembly line to report progress and needs to customers, management, and suppliers, while also reducing waste and delays in the manufacturing process. Read more about it here.

The MSA Lab at UTSA selects the OMNITROL appliance for research, education, and training

I always believed in winning the developers' hearts and minds by starting with universities. There are no dogmas, no NIH syndrome there. New technology is not seen as a risk but as an opportunity to do things better. The team at the University of Texas San Antonio is working on some really interesting projects involving supply chain visibility, manufacturing and the aerospace industry. Read more here.

Google To Bid For Wireless Spectrum

I'm still having trouble putting my hands around this one. Last week, the Wall Street Journal confirmed that Google was going to apply to bid for wireless spectrum in a January Federal Communications Commission auction.

Why would they want to build their own mobile network? It will squarely run against the interest of their current mobile partners (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile), and if they join forces with one of these companies, they are sure to alienate other partners. The Feds will not like the fact that they would own content, advertising and network. Maybe Google wants to put some pressure on the FCC to make sure carriers won't be able to block Google's content on the airwaves. Companies are evolving to take more control of the consumer around the network triangle.