Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Competitors and NewI\O

All of the competitors to the NewI\O system are sort of, semi-competitors, because nothing exists that is exactly like it. If it already existed, then I would just use it, becuase, I myself am a customer, and want to program for and use it. However, since nothing like it exists, I was forced to make it myself.

Sun Microsystems has one sort of, semi-competitor to NewI/O in Java. This is a competitor in the sense that it is portrayed as a nework application system. It is not a competitor in the sence that it works totally differently from NewI\O. Java downloads virtual code and runs it on the local computer, and so is not really even a network application at all. NewI\O runs applications on a server and displays the result in a browser (similar to a thin client): totally different technologies.

I bring this up because Sun just bought out a company that is another sort of, semi-competitor: Tarantella. This technology is similar in that it runs apps on the server, and displays them on a client, but what is different about this from NewI\O is that it is desktop sharing applciation, like X-Windows or Citrix. In this case my application is different in that it has nothing to do with desktops. My system simply shares an application and leaves your desktop alone.

It also occurs to me that there is one really big difference in strategies between me, and all of these companies. The competitors are all looking at what businesses need, and are trying to develop products for them. I, on the other hand, am looking at what an individual needs, and trying to create something to meet that need. While they are looking at specific business solutions, I seek to set an Internet standard.

For this reason ease of use is critical for me. The above applications are not for the masses. A home computer user is not going to be setting up Tarantella to run some program on the Internet somewhere. It is for this reason that I chose a browser interface. Users are already familiar with it. I can see users easily typing in or even just clicking on a URL to run an application.

I believe that I am shooting higher, and will be able to easily penetrate the business market, if I succeed in setting an Internet standard, so in a way, I am doing an end around on all of these other sort of, semi-competitors.

No comments: