This post was written by Mary Joseff
Apple Inc.’s bet on cellphone software appears to be paying off. In the month since Apple opened an online software clearinghouse called the App Store, users have downloaded more than 60 million programs for the iPhone, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in an interview at Apple’s headquarters. While most of those applications were free, Apple sold an average of $1 million a day in applications for a total of about $30 million in sales over the month, Mr. Jobs said.
If sales stay at the current pace, Apple stands to reap at least $360 million a year in new revenue from the App Store, Mr. Jobs said. “This thing’s going to crest a half a billion, soon,” he added. “Who knows, maybe it will be a $1 billion marketplace at some point in time…I’ve never seen anything like this in my career for software.”
Apple has hit a few speed bumps along the way, in part because it has set itself up as a powerful intermediary for the distribution of software to iPhones. For instance, it has frustrated some software developers by removing their programs from its App Store without explanation. Some iPhone users also have complained of technical problems with various iPhone applications, which software makers have attempted to correct with frequent patches.
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mindSHIFT Technologies Inc., a leading provider of premier IT infrastructure and software services for small and medium-sized organizations, has announced plans to support Apple Inc.’s recently released iPhone, as well as Mac laptops and desktops. This strategic move by mindSHIFT extends the company’s comprehensive suite of premier managed IT services, enabling customers to more easily take advantage of the benefits of innovative new technology with the confidence that their IT infrastructure will be expertly managed by a fully-staffed team of experienced IT professionals. As mindSHIFT’s newest supported mobile device, the iPhone provides mobile users with enterprise-class remote access any time, anywhere.
Following Apple Inc.’s deal with Best Buy, the company is likely to sell more than the estimated 12 million iPhones by the end of the current year, according to the Lehman Brothers analyst Ben Reitzes. Reitzes also thinks that his estimate of the sale of 24 million iPhones in 2009 is conservative. Apple’s expanding Best Buy presence will create an additional iPhone halo effect, Reitzes believes.
When the new iPhone goes on sale Friday, Apple Inc. will also launch an online software store, called App Store, to peddle a potpourri of programs such as games, pedometers, tip calculators and language translators for the device. The company hopes that by enabling buyers to transform the phone into a personalized electronic Swiss Army knife of sorts, it can boost sales. The store is another way that Apple is changing the mobile market since the first version of the iPhone went on sale in June 2007. The new App Store will be the only retailer of Apple-sanctioned software programs for the iPhone family and the iPod Touch.
After almost a year of the launch of the original Apple iPhone, Apple Inc.’s CEO Steve Jobs has introduced a 3G version of the device, finally putting to rest months of rumors and speculation. While some of the rumors panned out — the new handset will offer full GPS — other rumors, like the addition of a 32GB model, fizzled. With support for three 3G bands (850, 1900, 2100) and both UMTS and HSDPA networks, the iPhone 3G is well positioned for using high-speed networks across the world. If data speeds hold up as Jobs demonstrated, the new iPhone really is ready to put the Internet in your pocket. The latest iPhone version will go on sale from July 11, 2008.
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