The Paradox of Diversity in Technology

Competition is good for business. It drives people to create amazing things and challenge the status quo. But it can also be a pain for those of us who create applications and experiences for those using these competitive technologies.

Take, for instance, the current state of mobile operating systems. With Android, Blackberry, iOS and even Symbian all above 14% market share (as of June 2011, according to IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker), it can make things challenging for a company wishing to develop a mobile app that its entire base can use. And don't discount Windows Phone, either, as it has been making some major strides in gaining market share as of late.

What about the challenge of keeping your web interface clean when you need a Facebook 'Like,' Twiiter 'Follow' and now a Google '+1' button in your design? Good thing we can at least leave MySpace out now. 

And how about the way that Google Chrome has leapt over Internet Explorer in usage in the web browser market, and is on its way to equaling Firefox in market share? Plus, we can't discount Safari, as it is used on all iOS devices.

So where does this leave us as both marketers/advertisers and designers? It reminds me of the days of the many Search Engines. Too many to name, really, but AltaVista and Lycos were as relevant as Google at the time. Which one did you optimize your site for? 

While you need to be aware of growing trends and emerging players in each of these markets, it's also important to understand your means (aka marketing budget) and how effective you can be across as many of the major players in whichever medium you are advertising on. This means that while it would be great to have 100% coverage in the mobile app market, unless your audience is a specific niche that almost exclusively uses WebOS (formerly Palm, now HP, with less than 2% market share), you might divert the efforts into developing for that platform into something else and concentrate on the Big Three (Android, iOS, Blackberry).

But don't take it for granted that the market share will stay the same from one year to the next. Just as Chrome has had rapid growth of late in the browser market, there could be a surprise coming around the corner. Do your research and invest in technologies that are relevant to your audience. Keep an eye on the up and comers - if you see an opportunity to get in on the ground floor, but don't be distracted by the need to reach everyone every time. By focusing your efforts on the right technologies and platforms, you'll be able to utilize the right tool for the job and create the best experience possible for your customers. And let the competition continue - it's good for us all, even if it does make for difficult decisions sometimes.