Comments on: The Next Step Should Be An Open Specification http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification An outcome-driven leader, proven technology product developer, and marketer with over 20 years of hands-on experience including start-up, small and large business environments, and the board room. This is my blog. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:15:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Why I dumped the other IM networks for Skype — Alec Saunders SquawkBox http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3168 Why I dumped the other IM networks for Skype — Alec Saunders SquawkBox Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:21:59 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3168 [...] announced that their networks would interoperate.  At the time many of us called for them to deliver an open specification, delivering us from the IM Gulag that the industry has created.  Today there is still no respite [...] [...] announced that their networks would interoperate.  At the time many of us called for them to deliver an open specification, delivering us from the IM Gulag that the industry has created.  Today there is still no respite [...]

]]> By: Computerworld's IT Blogwatch http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3167 Computerworld's IT Blogwatch Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:29:50 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3167 <strong>Yahoo! shall! speak! unto! Microsoft! (and tessellation animation)...</strong> YT? LOL@ IT Blogwatch, in which Microsoft and Yahoo! interoperate, instant-messaging-wise. Not to mention some amazing Japanese animated tessellations...... Yahoo! shall! speak! unto! Microsoft! (and tessellation animation)…

YT? LOL@ IT Blogwatch, in which Microsoft and Yahoo! interoperate, instant-messaging-wise. Not to mention some amazing Japanese animated tessellations……

]]> By: One truce aside, the IM war continues » Mathew Ingram: mathewingram.com/work http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3164 One truce aside, the IM war continues » Mathew Ingram: mathewingram.com/work Thu, 13 Jul 2006 15:30:49 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3164 [...] If you only read certain blogs or publications today — or press releases from both Microsoft and Yahoo — you would think that something truly revolutionary had been announced, with the news that Microsoft’s MSN Messenger (or Windows Live Messenger or whatever we’re supposed to call it nowadays) will inter-operate with Yahoo’s instant messaging client as part of a limited beta. Thankfully, however, there are people with memories that last longer than a week or two, like Elinor Mills of CNet and Alec Saunders of Iotum and Stowe Boyd of, well… Stowe Boyd. [...] [...] If you only read certain blogs or publications today — or press releases from both Microsoft and Yahoo — you would think that something truly revolutionary had been announced, with the news that Microsoft’s MSN Messenger (or Windows Live Messenger or whatever we’re supposed to call it nowadays) will inter-operate with Yahoo’s instant messaging client as part of a limited beta. Thankfully, however, there are people with memories that last longer than a week or two, like Elinor Mills of CNet and Alec Saunders of Iotum and Stowe Boyd of, well… Stowe Boyd. [...]

]]> By: Alec http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3166 Alec Thu, 13 Jul 2006 15:21:06 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3166 Nice Greg :) The problem, of course, is that so long as the products are based on closed protocols, simple changes to those protocols can bamboozle your group of guys and gals... Nice Greg :) The problem, of course, is that so long as the products are based on closed protocols, simple changes to those protocols can bamboozle your group of guys and gals…

]]> By: Greg Fields http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3165 Greg Fields Thu, 13 Jul 2006 15:12:43 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/07/13/the-next-step-should-be-an-open-specification/#comment-3165 Good point, Alec. It's good to hear about news of interoperability. It would be even better to base that news on some kind of statement of intent from Yahoo or MSFT camps regarding an open specification. I really don't think either situation - dev to open spec or further integration beyond client base functionality - will happen any time soon. Both MSFT and Yahoo! are looking to allocate resources that help build their communities, which in turn drives their brand awareness, builds powerful # of users (a figure which every press release will be sure to include), and drives the proliferation of their products into segments with greater ease. Nowhere in that reasoning is there room for a "user needs" paradigm beyond which features product planning should shove into the next release. In this instance, the needs of IM users are opposed to those of the commercial entities. Further, if we look beyond IM and point our spectacles at other technology areas, the future of a single spec looks grim. Linux distros for mobile/wireless terminals are fighting over the single spec. Vendors in the wireless value chain still fight over CDMA versus GSM based wireless protocols. Then there is the heated battle for the desktop between Windows, MacOSX and Linux. The need for technology choice abounds. While it's not likely we'll see the adoption of a single spec, what is more likely is to see an enterprising, innovative group of guys and gals who come up with a way to abstract everything but the native widget set and provide a single IM client that aggregates all others. Even better if that group of guys and gals delivered a value-added feature and found a business model to keep them afloat long enough to release a production-quality product. Dare to dream, I guess. Good point, Alec. It's good to hear about news of interoperability. It would be even better to base that news on some kind of statement of intent from Yahoo or MSFT camps regarding an open specification. I really don't think either situation – dev to open spec or further integration beyond client base functionality – will happen any time soon. Both MSFT and Yahoo! are looking to allocate resources that help build their communities, which in turn drives their brand awareness, builds powerful # of users (a figure which every press release will be sure to include), and drives the proliferation of their products into segments with greater ease.

Nowhere in that reasoning is there room for a "user needs" paradigm beyond which features product planning should shove into the next release. In this instance, the needs of IM users are opposed to those of the commercial entities. Further, if we look beyond IM and point our spectacles at other technology areas, the future of a single spec looks grim. Linux distros for mobile/wireless terminals are fighting over the single spec. Vendors in the wireless value chain still fight over CDMA versus GSM based wireless protocols. Then there is the heated battle for the desktop between Windows, MacOSX and Linux. The need for technology choice abounds.

While it's not likely we'll see the adoption of a single spec, what is more likely is to see an enterprising, innovative group of guys and gals who come up with a way to abstract everything but the native widget set and provide a single IM client that aggregates all others.

Even better if that group of guys and gals delivered a value-added feature and found a business model to keep them afloat long enough to release a production-quality product.

Dare to dream, I guess.

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