Apple's iOS 5 boosts Twitter signups 25%, Wolfram Alpha searches by 20x
Apple's release of iOS 5 for both new devices and iPhones dating back to 2009 has had a significant impact on its integration partners, with Twitter noting a 25 percent increase in new accounts and Wolfram Alpha stating that Siri boosted its query volume 20 fold, disrupting the status quo in search and web services.
Apple added single-sign on Twitter integration as a top feature in iOS 5, allowing users to provide their Twitter credentials to the system once, and then use Twitter services throughout bundled apps (including Safari, Maps and Photos) and within third party apps after giving them permission.
As a result, Twitter announced today in a new event debuting its new web site that following Apple's introduction of iOS 5, monthly signups for the free service are up 25 percent, reaching 100 million monthly active users in September, according to reports by TechCrunch.
Dick Costolo, Twitter's chief executive, noted in October that daily signups had tripled following the release of iOS 5, and called Apple and "corporate mentor."
In November, a report stated that 40 percent of photos shared via Twitter were coming from iOS users, noting that built-in Twitter integration in iOS 5 Photos had already made it a top ten photo sharing client for the service.
Just prior to the release, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey wrote to third party developers, "Very soon, anywhere there?s an iPhone or an iPad, you?ll always find Twitter."
He added, "With Apple?s upcoming deep integration of Twitter into iOS 5, there is an opportunity for us, together, to take the ecosystem to a new level."
Integration vs intimidation
In November of 2010, Apple worked with Twitter to integrate its service into iTunes Ping as a way to share reviews of and links to content within the iTunes Store.
Apple's ongoing partnership with Twitter has progressed much more smoothly than its halting relationship with Facebook, which Apple says demanded unreasonable terms for iTunes Ping integration and refused to allow Apple to integrate native support for Facebook on the iPad, despite working with HP to build in Facebook support in webOS for that company's failed TouchPad.
Apple's partnerships with Twitter and similar services (including Yelp integration within Siri) are also markedly different than Google's approach, which has attempted to copy and displace startups with its own imitative services. Google tried to launch Buzz as a Twitter killer, has tried to squash Facebook with its own Google+ clone, and has plagiarized Yelp's content to populate its own rival Places service.
Using this partnership strategy, Apple has been able to add new search functionality for its iOS 5 users via Siri without increasing its reliance upon Google, and without having to build, operate and maintain vast search services of its own.
The latter strategy has cost Microsoft billions even as its unprofitable Bing investments in web, local and maps search services have had limited impact on taking search revenue share from Google. Microsoft is spending millions in attempts to pay carriers to subvert Android phones to default to using Bing, and recently partnered with CNET to add a Bing malware installer to Download.com Windows software distribution of free and open software projects.
Siri having an serious impact on search
Rather than building its own services, Apple has hooked up with Yelp for local reviews and Wolfram Alpha to deliver direct, authoritative answers to users' Siri queries. Rather than paying for its services via ads like Google, Wolfram Research sells apps and collects partnership fees.
After integrating with Apple's Siri on the new iPhone 4S, Wolfram reported a 20 fold increase in query traffic in the first week. Wolfram Research executive director Luc Barthelet told MIT's Technology Review that Siri enables Apple to provide direct answers in a way that Google can't match for Android users, because "what would happen to Google's business model if they just provided answers? They want users to look at the results. That's what makes their ad space valuable."
The same report cited Michael Thompson, senior vice president of the mobile division of Nuance Communications, (the speech-recognition software that Apple licenses in Siri), as noting that Siri is "taking away the toll-booth functionality of the search portals."
Apple added single-sign on Twitter integration as a top feature in iOS 5, allowing users to provide their Twitter credentials to the system once, and then use Twitter services throughout bundled apps (including Safari, Maps and Photos) and within third party apps after giving them permission.
As a result, Twitter announced today in a new event debuting its new web site that following Apple's introduction of iOS 5, monthly signups for the free service are up 25 percent, reaching 100 million monthly active users in September, according to reports by TechCrunch.
Dick Costolo, Twitter's chief executive, noted in October that daily signups had tripled following the release of iOS 5, and called Apple and "corporate mentor."
In November, a report stated that 40 percent of photos shared via Twitter were coming from iOS users, noting that built-in Twitter integration in iOS 5 Photos had already made it a top ten photo sharing client for the service.
Just prior to the release, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey wrote to third party developers, "Very soon, anywhere there?s an iPhone or an iPad, you?ll always find Twitter."
He added, "With Apple?s upcoming deep integration of Twitter into iOS 5, there is an opportunity for us, together, to take the ecosystem to a new level."
Integration vs intimidation
In November of 2010, Apple worked with Twitter to integrate its service into iTunes Ping as a way to share reviews of and links to content within the iTunes Store.
Apple's ongoing partnership with Twitter has progressed much more smoothly than its halting relationship with Facebook, which Apple says demanded unreasonable terms for iTunes Ping integration and refused to allow Apple to integrate native support for Facebook on the iPad, despite working with HP to build in Facebook support in webOS for that company's failed TouchPad.
Apple's partnerships with Twitter and similar services (including Yelp integration within Siri) are also markedly different than Google's approach, which has attempted to copy and displace startups with its own imitative services. Google tried to launch Buzz as a Twitter killer, has tried to squash Facebook with its own Google+ clone, and has plagiarized Yelp's content to populate its own rival Places service.
Using this partnership strategy, Apple has been able to add new search functionality for its iOS 5 users via Siri without increasing its reliance upon Google, and without having to build, operate and maintain vast search services of its own.
The latter strategy has cost Microsoft billions even as its unprofitable Bing investments in web, local and maps search services have had limited impact on taking search revenue share from Google. Microsoft is spending millions in attempts to pay carriers to subvert Android phones to default to using Bing, and recently partnered with CNET to add a Bing malware installer to Download.com Windows software distribution of free and open software projects.
Siri having an serious impact on search
Rather than building its own services, Apple has hooked up with Yelp for local reviews and Wolfram Alpha to deliver direct, authoritative answers to users' Siri queries. Rather than paying for its services via ads like Google, Wolfram Research sells apps and collects partnership fees.
After integrating with Apple's Siri on the new iPhone 4S, Wolfram reported a 20 fold increase in query traffic in the first week. Wolfram Research executive director Luc Barthelet told MIT's Technology Review that Siri enables Apple to provide direct answers in a way that Google can't match for Android users, because "what would happen to Google's business model if they just provided answers? They want users to look at the results. That's what makes their ad space valuable."
The same report cited Michael Thompson, senior vice president of the mobile division of Nuance Communications, (the speech-recognition software that Apple licenses in Siri), as noting that Siri is "taking away the toll-booth functionality of the search portals."
Comments
I'm glad to see Twitter and Wolfram-Alpha getting used more. I hope some of the pre-iOS 5.0 comments about how Twitter isn't useful have now been quashed after users have gotten to understand the its potential as a way to find and distribute news.
And it's nice to see another chink in Google's search armor.
I'm glad to see Twitter and Wolfram-Alpha getting used more. I hope some of the pre-iOS 5.0 comments about how Twitter isn't useful have now been quashed after users have gotten to understand the its potential as a way to find and distribute news.
It seems like a great many have learned that Twitter is so much more than just "tweeting"
But there are some unexpected consequences. My daughter playing around with Siri has discovered Wolfram Alpha. Biggest mistake ever because the little shit has been using it to do her math home work.
But there are some unexpected consequences. My daughter playing around with Siri has discovered Wolfram Alpha. Biggest mistake ever because the little shit has been using it to do her math home work.
LOL
Any partner preferred by Apple is going to see their volumes go up plentifold - simply because of Apple's massive installed base.
Today, Apple is integrating with services like Yelp and Wolfram Alpha, where Apple has to pay partnership fees to these companies. Down the road, Apple will actually be in a position to charge companies partnership fees - say a percentage of revenue generated from Siri.
Just imagine if Orbitz tied up with Apple to offer Travel Services and reservations. It is very likely that Orbitz will see a massive jump in its revenue as more people start using Orbitz simply because it is much easier to use Siri to make reservations than to use a website. If Apple integrates this with their existing Apple ID based payment gateway, then the whole process becomes even more convenient! How much would Orbitz be willing to pay for this privilege? 1% of revenue? 2% of revenue? or more?
In the same way, there are literally dozens of services that would benefit from being recognized as Siri partner services.
Apple has slowly moved its business model from making hardware at premium prices, to making extremely competitively priced hardware. They will soon be in a position to make enormous amounts of money from addon services. And this will enable to sell hardware at even lower prices.
Eventually, this could lead to a major faceoff between Amazon and Apple - as Apple ties up with some competitor of Amazon to launch an online super store. Just as Amazon starts to step on Apple's toes, Apple can attempt to crush Amazon with its ecosystem clout.
The point is, Apple's strategy of tying up with strategic partners who already do a very decent job in their sphere, but who might currently be struggling for market share, is a much better strategy than Google's and Amazon's strategy of doing everything themselves.
The point is, Apple's strategy of tying up with strategic partners who already do a very decent job in their sphere, but who might currently be struggling for market share, is a much better strategy than Google's and Amazon's strategy of doing everything themselves.
Now I've never created anything myself, so I don'tknow how I'd feel about losing control of my baby, but after seeing that 25% increase in numbers for Twitter alone, are the DropBox boys wondering if they did the right thing?
And it's nice to see another chink in Google's search armor.
I wonder how many investors realize that Siri may significantly damage Google's business? Google's business model is to put up advertisement on a page of close search matches in the hope you will click on one of the advertisements. Siri returns a single answer and no advertisements. Every Siri search is a search not done on Google or Bing or Yahoo. That takes a lot of wind out of Google's sails. They don't have much of an income stream without ad-related search.
Just Microsoft is spending millions (...) to add a Bing malware installer(...).
This "reporting" is so outrageous that it looks it's been penned (typed, actually) by D.E.D.
I wonder if it's not even illegal, being so close to defamation as to be it?
Now I've never created anything myself, so I don'tknow how I'd feel about losing control of my baby, but after seeing that 25% increase in numbers for Twitter alone, are the DropBox boys wondering if they did the right thing?
Who's Dropbox again? Ah, that company back from 2010... old times
Also, there was "Blackberry" in this era...
Who's Dropbox again? Ah, that company back from 2010... old times
Also, there was "Blackberry" in this era...
Dropbox is a fantastic software. I use it everyday. Far more useful than iCloud. What's your problem with dropbox?
Dropbox is a fantastic software. I use it everyday. Far more useful than iCloud. What's your problem with dropbox?
My problem with Dropbox is they don't support iCloud.
Today, Apple is integrating with services like Yelp and Wolfram Alpha, where Apple has to pay partnership fees to these companies. Down the road, Apple will actually be in a position to charge companies partnership fees - say a percentage of revenue generated from Siri.
There's value in being in the Apple ecosystem?
Hush! Don't tell the publishers! 30% is an outrage!
Apple has slowly moved its business model from making hardware at premium prices, to making extremely competitively priced hardware. They will soon be in a position to make enormous amounts of money from addon services. And this will enable to sell hardware at even lower prices.
Interesting point. I would refine it a bit further - it's not just services - it's the overall experience.
Eventually, this could lead to a major faceoff between Amazon and Apple - as Apple ties up with some competitor of Amazon to launch an online super store. Just as Amazon starts to step on Apple's toes, Apple can attempt to crush Amazon with its ecosystem clout.
To expand on the experience meme, if Apple does follow through on this Amazon doesn't stand a chance. Apple tying together a constellation of disparate stores that share a common ecosystem and experience... one that's as highly polished in accordance with Apple standards: that could be the ultimate retail store!
The point is, Apple's strategy of tying up with strategic partners who already do a very decent job in their sphere, but who might currently be struggling for market share, is a much better strategy than Google's and Amazon's strategy of doing everything themselves.
Kind of ironic, isn't it? It just shows the people who criticize Apple's "walled garden"and "closed" system are totally oblivious to the main point - the customer experience matters the most.
This should be fun to watch - I'll wager Twitter, Yelp! and Wolfram Alpha are just the beginning. I think Google and Amazon both are going to find that it would have been much easier to cozy up to Apple than try to supplant them. The false dichotomy's of the Windows decades have really blinded these companies to what was really going on.
I've been a Mac user since 1985 - and this is the best it's been so far. And it shows no sign of slowing down
Now I've never created anything myself, so I don'tknow how I'd feel about losing control of my baby, but after seeing that 25% increase in numbers for Twitter alone, are the DropBox boys wondering if they did the right thing?
Based on iCloud today DropBox has little to worry about. The problem is, Apple isn't really known for their lack of innovation. I'd be worried if I were them (or one of their similarly positioned clones).
They don't have much of an income stream without ad-related search.
There's an understatement!