Thursday, August 18, 2011

What's next in the mobile arena

Apple has complete control  both on the software and the hardware of their mobile devices. Moreover, they have a huge client base (all the iPXXXX people)
Google  now also has complete control both on the software and the hardware of their mobile device (assuming that the deal with Motorola Mobility is approved). Moreover, they have a huge client base (all the android people)

RIM has complete control both on the software and the hardware of their devices, but nobody buys their products and they are loosing their share in the mobile market.

Microsoft controls its software and wants to increase their share in this market.

When will Microsoft buy RIM?

Saturday, August 13, 2011

The effects of the software patents war

There's a software patents war raging. It is fought between all the players, big and small: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and IBM are just a few names in the list of the war participants.

It is all over the news now, Google buys more then a 1000 patents from IBM and fails to buy 6000 other patents, of Nortel. These 6000 patents were bought by Apple, Microsoft and Ericsson. The undertaker of silicon valley claims that nowadays, what's left of a company that is closing down is the IP (whereas during the 2000 bubble bust servers were what a dying company could sell).

This leads me to ask about the effect of this war on the recruitment process. I guess that companies in the high-tec industry will start looking for people who know to develop software (transform innovation into code) as well as know how to develop IP (transform innovation into patents).
Would an ad for a software developer include not only the set of technologies / domains that a possible candidate should know, but also how many patents are on the candidate's belt?

Update
The patents war is now going to the next level - Google bought Motorola Mobility and its portfolio of about 17,000 patents. Now Google has a patent arsenal which can be used to really fight the rest of the big players.