Mobile Fragmentation Isn’t Just Limited to Mobile OS

May 27th 2010 at 14:42 by Faraz Syed

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More affordable smartphone handsets and overwhelming support from the industry are driving the proliferation of apps.

But even as some cite “The Developer is King”, the reality is the very dynamism of the app market is confronting developers with more not less challenges that can be cripplingly expensive to overcome. Quite simply the requirement to develop content across multiple platforms isn’t going away. In fact, the mobile operating ecosystem is fragmenting at a faster rate than before.

Despite a plethora of initiatives looking to ease development across multiple platforms, the most recent being the Wholesale Application Community announced at Mobile World Congress, today’s mobile ecosystem is no longer fragmented but splintered. With both handset manufacturers and even mobile operators all adding their own offerings to the pot, most recently Samsung’s Bada for example, there seems little sign of a single platform or framework which is universally accepted.

This challenge of splintering is not however limited to the diverse range of platforms available. It is even present within operating systems themselves. A recent example that highlights this issue of fragmentation is the launch of the Twitter application for Android that only runs on devices running Android version 2.1 or higher. This means it will currently only run on the Motorola Droid, Google Nexus One or the new HTC Incredible and is therefore accessible to less than one-third of Android customers.

Although there are a range of porting tools and companies available that can automate or streamline the multi-platform process, making an application simply work on a handset isn’t good enough for today’s mobile consumer, especially when it comes to delivering an experience like that involved in mobile gaming. Screen sizes, ergonomics, hardware features and technical specifications are all to be considered in experience delivery.

It is therefore important not just to consider fragmentation in terms of software, but also the various hardware specifications in the mobile marketplace. With a new flagship handset launched on a weekly basis, the mobile marketplace is littered with a vast array of different screen sizes, resolutions, processors, graphics cards and input methods that need to be considered when developing a multi-platform strategy. Even the ergonomics of the phone can have a major impact on game play.

The introduction of multi-player games can also introduce a third layer of fragmentation which to contend, the mobile network of the customer. With varying data speeds based on service provider and location being two factors, as well as the price package of your customers being another, the data demands of your application can also represent a challenge to uptake.

This overall challenge of fragmentation intensifies when you consider applications should ideally span not only phones, but also MIDs, UMPCs, cars (telematics), tablets and other embedded and wearable computing devices. Pervasive is the new mobile. A single platform that spans all “Screens of Life” is the ideal.  But how can developers truly innovate with such a wide variety of platforms for which to cater their “mainstream” application.

Despite this being an open and recurring concern for the mobile industry, it is unlikely that we will see an antidote to diversity in the near future. Mobile operators and handset manufacturers both see the mobile operating system as a unique selling point and have made it clear that they do not want a repeat of the Wintel paradigm.

However, whilst the industry is unlikely to resolve the issue of fragmentation any time soon they have realised the importance of supporting their developer communities. Although revenue split schemes are consistent throughout the industry the developer competitions promising cash prizes are now commonplace, whilst others choose to differentiate themselves by simplifying the certification and submission process, offering prime store real estate or by providing the tools to streamlines development process.

The extent to which handset manufacturers and service providers are investing will help app developers negotiate the fragmentation issues.  With no silver bullet remedy, developers need to explore the support available and other tools on the market. But their strategies for fragmentation ultimately will be decided by how they define their market and consider how different platforms and OS will appeal to different consumer demographics