Apple once again had people talking last week when it issued a statement regarding updates to the iOS Developer Program license. In a move that some attribute to Apple's rivalry with Google's Android and others to a rumored investigation by the Federal Trade Commission into Apple's banning of Adobe Flash, Steve Jobs announced that the company will relax its ban on third party development tools for iOS.
Regardless of the why Apple made the change, I think it speaks to the fact that the company is facing increased competition and can't just depend on having the newest, sleekest, coolest product to stay ahead. And as consumers become more educated about their choices and the differences in products become smaller and smaller, Apple must respond.
The way in which Apple chose to frame this latest move that allows developers more choice about the tools they use is interesting in and of itself, but when combined with the fact that Apple has also released previously guarded App Store Review Guidelines it can give the impression that Apple is doing us all a favor by letting us in on the secret. But isn't it really a bid to stay competitive (or avoid trouble with the FTC)?
I'm interested to see if Apple is able to maintain the quality that it wants given this new development, and whether this is just the beginning of a more open Apple.
No comments:
Post a Comment