WWDC - Apple unveils Web 2.0 iPhone applications strategy
Home » WWDC - Apple unveils Web 2.0 iPhone applications strategy
Today at the Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference, the company unveiled its bold strategy for third party iPhone applications.
Striking on multiple fronts, Apple announced the beta release of its Safari web browser for Windows XP and Windows Vista. Ironically, while Microsoft discontinued development for the Macintosh version of Internet Explorer in June of 2003, withdrawing all support for the browser in 2005, Apple has begun to persue a markedly different growth strategy that has ultimately led to the release of its second major application to the Windows platform (iTunes being its first). Joining other multiplatform browsers like, Firefox and Opera, Apple has identified support of the Windows platform as being of strategic importance to its desire for growth (currently comprising roughly 5% of the total browser market).
This announcement was directly followed by Apple's official endorsement of web based applications as the premiere method of developing third party applications on the iPhone. According to Jobs, this method yields the following benefits:
- Web 2.0 + AJAX
- Integration with iPhone services (phone call, e-mail, Google maps)
- Instant distribution
- Easy to update
- Secure - same as transactions with Amazon or a bank
- Sandboxed on the iPhone (no compromise to reliability or security)
Prior to this, there had been hints that Apple would release an SDK that would enable developers to develop "widgets" for the new platform. This however, turned out not to be the case. Apple's Vice President of Platform Experience demonstrated an example application, citing that Web 2.0 standards were the only necessary technology in developing rich applications for the iPhone. While developer reactions have been somewhat dissappointed (interest in developing applications that could access lower-level capabilities), the value to this approach is still significant. As Jobs noted, companies like Salesforce.com and Google have been pushing the powerful Web 2.0 style applications, and with their new iPhone product, Apple intends to be uniquely positioned to benefit.
With Windows and the iPhone, Apple's Safari browser now runs on three different platforms, allowing would be developers to begin expanding custom service offerings to a lively and fast growing audience of users.