Like many in the mobile business I had my attention drawn to this:
Acquisition Aims to Change History for Mobile Apps & Data
“… it’s big news that international mobile infrastructure conglomerate Alcatel-Lucent has acquired cross-platform mobile app development tool and compiler OpenPlug.”
That’s right: change history. Not backwards, obviously, or they’d have got a better price for the company. But forwards. We are now witnessing the birth of the OpenPlug era, people.
What does OpenPlug do? Oh, it makes Flex-based tool that cross-compiles to iPhone, Android and WinMo. So far, so meh. It might be a great tool. Apple might even allow OpenPlug Flex-derived apps into the App-store. But it’s scarcely the only technology in the market.
What caused my eyebrows to elevate was the description Marshall Kirkpatrick applied to the purchase:
“As part of a platform play, this acquisition is like a seed; densely packed with promise…”
(I thought seeds were packed with DNA and sugars, but if you want to get metaphorical, OK, promise it is)
“…aiming to power the reinvigoration of the world’s telephone companies”
I think I get email offering medication to reinvigorate me on a daily basis. Is this the same sort of thing?
But tell me Marshall, how is the moribund telco industry going to be reinvigorated?
“It may or may not work.”
No, go on, I insist.
“Enabling apps to drive consumer demand for data is the strategy.”
Oh.
My.
God.
It’s full of profit!
Why didn’t we think of that!?*
Pro tip for bloggers: if you think what you’re writing about might just be a tad hyperbolic, try inverting the sense. If it sounds ludicrous in inverse (“this acquisition is like a ping-pong ball, void of utility”) it probably sounds ludicrous as a positive as well. On the other hand, if it sounds more interesting in reverse, you’ve either got the wrong story or you’re rewriting a press-release.
Hyper-summary: Alcatel have bought a cross-platform compilation tool because they want to add app provision to their services. The end. Just don’t get me started on the sidebar.
* requires use of the sarcasm CSS attribute
