[fosscomm] Apple's war with Google heats up

[Guru गुरु]

part of this is also a battle between closed and relatively open 
eco-systems...
regards
Guru

http://www.samachar.com/Apples-war-with-Google-heats-up-mgjnL6gjgja.html

Apple's war with Google heats up
Posted: Saturday, Jun 09, 2012 at 1306 hrs IST

SAN FRANCISCO: When Apple Inc kicks off its annual conference for 
software developers on Monday, all the power players in the Apple 
universe will be on hand, save the one that is in many ways driving the 
agenda: Google Inc. More than ever, the consumer electronics juggernaut 
finds itself in a pitched battle with the online search giant - in 
smartphones, cloud computing and the never-ending competition for the 
hearts and minds of the best software developers.

Apple on Monday is expected to announce its own mapping application, 
challenging the position of Google Maps as one of the most-valued 
features on the iPhone. It will unveil closer integration of its iPhone 
apps and iCloud storage service with all its devices, the latest riposte 
in its battle with Google's Android smartphone software. It may promote 
the latest in Siri, the voice interface that the company thinks can 
continue to set the iPhone and the iPad apart from the Android pack. And 
there will likely be a new line of Macintosh laptops too - underscoring 
the leverage that a full line of hardware products can bring to what is 
mainly a software war with Google. Apple is looking to differentiate its 
mobile devices from Google's Android by further enticing consumers 
deeper into its app ecosystem, said Carolina Milanesi, analyst at 
Gartner Research. "It's all about loyalty and basically leveraging the 
opportunity of selling more to them," she said. "I don't think the 
consumers in the mass market are necessarily tied into the Android 
ecosystem in the same way that consumers on the Apple side are."

Battling in many arenas, the rivals employ different weapons. Apple's 
vise-like grip on its ecosystem - with the closely managed app store and 
its seamless integration with the hardware - stands in sharp contrast to 
Google's free-for-all approach. The open system approach, reminiscent of 
Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) hugely successful strategy of creating 
standard-setting software that runs on a variety of hardware, has 
allowed Android to capture the market lead in smartphones (albeit with 
nothing close to Apple's profit margins). Android has also helped create 
several potent hardware rivals to Apple. Samsung Electronics' 
(005930.KS) Android-driven Galaxy SIII is drawing favorable comparisons 
to iPhone and Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) cheaper Kindle Fire is 
challenging Apple in tablets and digital content.

Apple's expected move to replace Google Maps with its own mapping 
application is a particularly dramatic example of how the rivalry 
between the companies has been evolving. Google has invested huge sums 
in its mapping technology over the years, and about half of its map 
traffic now comes from iPhones and iPads. Among other things, the 
traffic from those devices reveals valuable location data that helps 
improve the mapping service and provides features like real-time traffic 
reports. Apple has spent three years preparing to take mapping back. It 
has integrated technology from acquisitions such as 3D mapping company 
C3 Technologies, Canadian startup Poly9 Group and mapping service 
Placebase, said ISI analyst Brian Marshall. "As Apple builds out its 
Siri service, they build out the iCloud infrastructure and more 
capability into its operating system, location data is going to become 
important," said Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. "This could help their 
advertising business too."

MULTI-PRONGED BATTLE
In what was seen as a pre-emptive move against Apple's upcoming maps 
service, Google on Wednesday showed off its own mapping capabilities, 
including soon-to-be-launched 3D features. While Google executives 
avoided any comment on the possibility of being ousted as a default 
service on Apple devices, one executive said the integration with 
Google's search engine provides a mapping service that is far more 
useful than a product that simply uses a "geocoder. Apple began to use 
its own geocoder - technology that uses geographic coordinates to create 
a digital map - for the Google-based maps on its smartphones late last 
year, a move that was seen as a precursor to Apple using its own map 
software. Another software upgrade that fans and developers are hoping 
for is Siri, a popular voice-enabled personal assistant service that 
Google has yet to match. The service could come out of its beta testing 
phase and show up on the iPad when Apple unveils iOS6 or the next 
version of its mobile operating software. Siri, which has been plagued 
with connectivity and other issues, is still in beta test version.

Apple's global war on Google and Android in the courts is one sign of 
how seriously it is taking the potential threat. The consumer device 
giant is seeing limited success, though, in courtrooms for various 
patent infringement cases it has against Android manufacturers. Apple 
said this week it is mulling a legal order to stop the US launch of 
Samsung Galaxy S III phone later this month. Samsung is one of the 
biggest Android phone manufacturers. In another of the many lawsuits 
worldwide pitting Apple against Motorola Mobility, now owned by Google, 
a federal judge canceled a scheduled trial as neither could prove 
damages. That decision particularly hurts Apple because the iPhone maker 
was seeking an injunction barring the sale of Android products, said 
Brian Love, a professor at Stanford Law School. "The Android side is 
likely thrilled to simply have the case go away," Love said. Apple 
declined to comment on the case.

MACBOOK REDESIGN IN THE WORKS
Where Apple has the upper hand is in its hardware - groundbreaking in 
design, vastly popular with consumers for its ease of use. The 
redesigned MacBook laptops to hit the stage next week are expected to 
include high-definition screens and Intel Corp's (INTC.O) Ivy Bridge 
cutting-edge processors. Some even expect the iPad's "retina" display to 
show up on the MacBook line. This would be Apple's first big redesign of 
the MacBook Pro since mid-2009. With the new lineup, it hopes to fend 
off budding competition from rival manufacturers who are pushing a spate 
of new, th inner laptops called "Ultrabooks."

Windows 8, a new version of Microsoft's flagship operating system that 
runs on tablet computers as well as PCs, will bolster PC makers' ability 
to offer premier computers rivaling Apple's MacBook line. Already, about 
20 touch-enabled ultrabook designs with various styles of foldable, 
detachable or sliding keyboards running the new Windows 8 system are in 
the pipeline. The MacBook line generated 13 percent, or about $5 
billion, of Apple's fiscal second-quarter revenue. Unit sales of the 
aging lineup were up 7 percent from the previous year but were down 23 
percent sequentially. Whatever the case, Apple fans and partners can 
look forward to a fairly action-packed week. "Apple is very serious 
about getting far in front of Windows 8 and Ultrabooks," said Barclays 
analyst Ben Reitzes. But "software and services will be the focus, with 
major enhancements to Maps, iCloud and Siri, which developers and users 
can take advanta
-- 

Gurumurthy Kasinathan
Director, IT for Change
/In Special Consultative Status with the United Nations ECOSOC
/www.ITforChange.Net | Cell:91 9845437730 | Tel:91 80 26654134, 26536890
How ICTs can transform teacher education - 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-kgSW_o9z8&feature=youtu.be

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