Recently three have been a lot of noise about the MicroStrategy, Inc created tools targeted to Apple users (iPod, iPad etc). More than 200 re/twits a day. Mind boggling. During recent MicroStrategy World held at Cannes, France, MicroStrategy, Inc showcased these tools with lot of fanfare. But I highly suspect MicroStrategy gaining market share or big business, just because they have Apple specific application. This is akin to an Automaker betting big one a new car launch that has only extra sun roof in the new model. give me a break dude. How many of you buy a new car just because it has a new swanky sunroof added. None. Only fools will buy that. and Betting big on Apple tools totally amazes me. Take an example of usual application world. We have something called as plug-in to applications or 3rd party tools. Over period of time, some plug-ins become must have for end users. In fact, some time application maker itself become a competitor to plug-in/3rd party tool maker. Apple Tools are not really exciting for sane business people, at least they should not be. It is strange that MicroStrategy is doing very little to publicize the integrated support to Blackberry, which exist for more than 3 years. What a pity.
Something, that’s really extremely good is MicroStrategy, Inc hypnotizing the people who are decision maker for purchase. Unfortunately no Technical person accompany them during these Tech (read, Trade) show. Take an example of my current client, one of Fortune 100 company. The Stake holders are people who seems to have little knowledge about what’s being built using MicroStrategy in their respective team. The presentation shown by MicroStrategy Sales team make everything like piece of cake, dynamic dashboard looks like child play. But unfortunately reality is not so close to that. First of all, minuscule %age of Report Requester and/or End Users really use the premium feature of MicroStrategy. Dynamic dashboard is not easy stuff. This is not really related to Apple Tools, but for the business users of MicroStrategy products.
Now cut back to Apple Tools, which are nothing but a Marketing tool. Hold you breathe, One can not see the flashy dynamic dashboard reports on any Apple appliance as Steve Jobs thinks Adobe Flash, platform on which MicroStrategy Dynamic dashboard run in MicroStrategy Web, are the biggest reason of Apple iPods/iPads crashing and doesn’t have Adobe Flash.
I don’t know if Blackberry was failure, but betting on Apple which has very small penetration among Business users is a stupid idea. You can get the eye ball but sales and I pity anyone buying MicroStrategy for its Mobile Application. This is not an innovative idea like Twitter/Facebook that change the landscape for everyone. FB/Twitter were unique and they created a market for themselves, Saylor saying that Mobile BI would be a game changer for MicroStrategy, is a very bad calculation. You have been industry leader for rest of you in BI landscape, but Mobile BI.. Game changer.. ha ha ha ha…
Hi,
I tend to agree that the ipod version of MSI mobile is overhyped but they aren’t doing anything any other technology company does (try to dazzle executives and get them to make the purchase decision). At least MicroStrategy has a very good BI platform so it’s not all smoke/mirrors. In regard to the ipad, I think this will be a much more functional application of MicroStrategy and considering there is so much buzz about it, executives will demand they get one. In the short time MicroStrategy has been talking about it (on ipad), I know several larger companies where the executive want this and if they don’t already own MicroStrategy, this is likley to get MicroStrategy over the purchasing hump.
Cheers
Check out this 424- page long report on Mobile computing and how Apple will drive the innovation from Morgan Stanley.
http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/pdfs/mobile_internet_report.pdf