In a latest survey carried out by Gartner, the Symbian platform confirmed that it was nonetheless the undisputed champion of smartphone OSs. Nonetheless, with the latest explosive progress of the iPhone together with the buildup of Android, webOS, BlackBerry and Home windows Cell, this will likely grow to be a factor of the previous.
Symbian has historically had the most important marketshare as a result of long-term strategic planning of the platform. What are actually thought-about commonplace options for smartphone OSs’ comparable to app shops, firmware updates, developer SDKs, and so on have been all pioneered by Symbian. Sadly, it appears as if the expertise was effectively forward of its time as compared to what’s thought-about “revolutionary” or “cutting-edge” presently. Symbian ought to look to recapitalize on this edge by leveraging the platform aggressively to customers once more.
Under are a couple of steps that Symbian ought to significantly look into to re-launch the platform into client minds once more:
1. New revolutionary telephones with putting designs
a. Re-forge a expertise partnership with Nokia
b. Give attention to American markets
c. Compete on value factors with backed telephones
2. Open-source the bottom code for Symbian
a. Enable cross-platform publishing: Qt
b. Construct stronger relationships with builders
3. Market Symbian Horizon
(Supply)
There are extra actions however these are the pertinent points that Symbian ought to look to handle.
1. New revolutionary telephones with putting designs
Historically Symbian telephones haven’t essentially been probably the most attractive or fascinating telephones. They have been utility pushed sensible units the place seems weren’t excessively vital. Nonetheless, client tastes have drastically modified. Primarily, Apple’s insistent give attention to model has pushed the ideas of shoppers to increased demanding expectations from their smartphones. They at the moment maintain the standing of a style accent as effectively, clearly utility and productiveness doesn’t lower it for immediately’s client.
Nokia is Symbian’s greatest asset right here, with a slew of telephones together with the N-97 and varied N-series telephones doing phenomenally effectively all around the world. Symbian must workforce up with some critical designers and construct telephones that may drive mad in the event that they don’t have them. With a lot of individuals now starting to match telephones as style equipment, it’s time for a change. Convey within the modern, neat, shiny piano black plastic and brushed metal, and out with the gray scratchproof plastics.
The Symbian-Nokia partnership additionally has an added benefit, primarily the expertise quantity Nokia has invested within the touchscreen. The multi-touch help in Nokia screens is revolutionary in some ways. At the moment, Nokia and Apple are going face to face for expertise patents, however Symbian should seize this function’s performance to make sure that prospects come again to the platform. The iPhone, HTC HD2, Motorola’s Droid, Samsung Omnia, and so on all have set high-standards, nonetheless, Symbian’s expertise ought to show beneficial to inserting a brand new twist on the function. Improved typing help alone may win probably thousands and thousands of shoppers who’re textual content fanatics however not essentially followers of the makes an attempt of touchscreen strategies at the moment accessible.
One other issue that Symbian ought to emphasize is the shortage of penetration of Symbian inside the US. Contemplating that almost all of the developer capital is situated in Silicon Valley and different expertise hubs, the US is a vital marketplace for smartphones. With acceptance inside that particular market, Symbian may simply overtake all its different opponents because the main smartphone OS.
2. Open-source the bottom code for Symbian
Qt is a sort of expertise that enables customers to develop purposes that may simply be ported to different platforms with out having to rewrite the code a number of occasions. At the moment there are few purposes that actively enable for straightforward porting to different platforms. Though strategies exist for porting apps throughout from iPhone to different platforms, it’s by no means actually as simple because it appears. This situation must be clearly addressed to make sure that the platform turns into viable for builders.
A hidden asset that generally expertise firms neglect is the builders themselves. Though a lot help is devoted to them, they’re important stakeholders within the expertise that’s being developed. They’re prospects in addition to the end-user for apps and handsets. With out their help and energy, the expertise would simply sit as a lifeless platform. Symbian must actively search for expertise evangelists inside their platform and produce them on board as energetic companions within the expertise that’s being developed. With their contributions and insights, it should convey round a brand new revival within the platform which can assist it retain its marketshare amongst smartphone working techniques.
3. Market Symbian Horizon
Horizon is an excellent free neighborhood that Symbian has created for app builders to publish their apps freed from price to construct a developer base. The design and interface is gorgeous emphasizing the enjoyable facet of Symbian and the entry that builders must the neighborhood and Symbian for improvement functions. I learnt of Symbian by means of a remark of a Symbian Horizon worker on LinkedIn. Previous to the remark, I’d by no means heard of it. Clearly, Symbian actually must push Horizon into the minds of builders. The power to publish apps totally free and entry the required goal markets is of nice profit for app builders who have to construct a reputation and repute whereas they develop apps.
An added good thing about Horizon is that it permits customers to work together with Symbian workers and different builders in order that they’ll make an impression within the smartphone OS.
It appears as if Symbian does have a big quantity of labor to do to take care of it’s marketshare. Nonetheless, a coordinated effort may simply convey it again to the forefront of smartphone working techniques. Hopefully, a re-entrenchment technique will assist Symbian focus its efforts to fight the upcoming competitors by means of Android, iPhone, webOS, and BlackBerry’s choices.