What the Mobile Wars Mean to You

If you've been paying attention to Google's developer conference, where the advertising giant took several shots across the bow at Apple, or the short and cryptic email response from Steve Jobs, you know that the mobile wars are upon us. Google is casting itself as the pure, well-intentioned open source leader. Apple, for its part, is keeping the iPhone OS platform on a steady, and closed, bearing.

So what does this mean for your business online?

Well, if you want to jump into the mobile world with an app or mobile-friendly version of your website, you should know that there are firmly two platforms to target. iPhone and Android. Palm's webOS is on hiatus, Microsoft's Windows Mobile 7 isn't ready for primetime, and Blackberry is in decline for now. In terms of maximizing ROI and exposing yourself to the biggest markets, iPhone and Android are the way to go (and in that order).

Whatever your plans, know this: Apple started the exploding innovation in the mobile sector with the release of the first iPhone, and Google is helping to keep the fire lit. This war (whose companies have a combined market cap of around a half trillion dollars) is good news for you. It means a larger market, more devices, greater innovations, increasing advertising, and plenty of drama to enjoy.

Most importantly for you, it means that everyone will be walking around with a super-modern web browser in their pockets, and that means YOU can reach them.

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