What people love about CMS systems (CMS = content management system) is how they allow business people to add, edit and delete materials from their own websites without delay or getting assistance from designers and developers. The truth, however is not so simple. Managing a CMS online requires paying attention. A static site is generally safe from virus’ exploits and malware. Any CMS (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, nuke etc.) needs to be maintained to avoid problems. While we can’t guarantee that everything done to a site will remain compatible for eternity, we help first by guiding clients through the basics of maintaining their StormPress to keep it virus free and running smoothly. You’re not on your own and our primary goal is ALWAYS  your success.

So … No need to go it alone or hire expensive developers to manage a solution for you. Go StormPress and get busy.

A reason I think it’s important to identify the key players is that there are several very large businesses (including the world’s largest by the measure of market cap. as of this writing) with strong interests in controlling the development of technology simply to perpetuate their own growth. One should understand the interests of these businesses and how the technology (patents & soft value) assets of each guides the product developments. Each is doing their best to buttress their own portfolios of assets and investments. Some of the key  known players include obvious entries like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung as well as other influencers such as amazon or craigslist or less direct and obvious interests including the anchoring force of government.

Google:

Certainly one of those core key players is Google. Google began as simply a search engine but through continued development their systems invade just about every new internet technology in development.

Assets:

Google makes the bulk of its income from pay-per-click advertising. They know the core of their development must preserve that fact first unless they develop something that becomes a greater income stream. While they pledge to not “be evil” they also have a commitment to their shareholders and staff to survive and by now that means lots of money has to continue to come in. How? By making sure they can’t be closed out of the revenue stream of click advertising.

Android: One means of facilitating this is the development of their mobile operating system (OS) called Android. Noting that google doesn’t get paid for copies of android and you’re free to do whatever you want with it. If Joe Smith wants to make an android phone he pays google nothing and can grab android and do as he pleases. Now this makes REAL EASY for joe is to set his phone up with google as the default search system and chrome as the default browser. That means they can assure ads will be displayed and compatible on smart phones or tablets running their “free” OS and business which pay per click support the business revenue model.

Chrome: In addition to their Mobile OS they also have their own web browser. Apple Inc. learned years back that if others control the web browser software, they end up with a lot of control regarding what displays and how on users screens. It’s an egg/chicken question whether chrome supports android or Vice versa. I think they both support each other like our lungs support our heart.

Google seems to have a vested interest in keeping platforms open, at least for now. What I think will be interesting to see is in how technology appears to be getting more, not less complex and that means broad integration will be very challenging. Apple is doing the opposite in keeping the platform closed which can enable them to better help people at managing their personal technology. (Google stores coming soon?)

If google ran the earth…

The future would be focused on pay-per-click. Nobody would pay for search, find, or to “own” software. You might not even need to buy or pay for a phone! They can either just take little bits of change from millions of businesses throwing a constant stream of quarters, nickels and dimes at Google. The companies prevailing brand appears focused first on “finding what you’re seeking fast and with no commitment on your part whatsoever” would continue to make them the first place people look to when they don’t have something they want. They are supported by the people selling who don’t mind paying google a .02% markup on their sales*. (* I just made up a number, calculating a markup to google for a click-through to sale depends on many variables) Like Microsoft before them, google focused on software and encouraged others to build hardware to fit the “intention” of their software.

Google has more recently gotten involved in making hardware and will likely soon be turning on their development partners by creating a software to hardware end-to-end solution more similar to Apple’s iOS and matched devices. Not sure how their partners (Samsung, LG, Motorola*, Sony, etc.) will feel about having to compete with Google while supporting their OS and browser. (*Google currently owns the mobile device assets of Motorola)

Google is also using a wealth of internet applications and functions ranging from Maps, to Docs to Picasa and Youtube (they own them all). Google is in a great position to command clout as things move forward. Coming next, don’t count out Microsoft yet…(maybe) yet.

Each technology developer works within their interests to sort between how well their products integrate with other products, standards, attributes and intents AND they also strategically try to isolate the technology so that once you use their platforms or tools, it becomes harder to migrate to something else. If we look at the two “I’s” as tools, we can see that integration is the gateway in, and isolation is where the profits are generated and I believe no technology products can avoid this dichotomy. If you’re products don’t integrate well, they never see usage, if they don’t have some wall of isolation there is no incentive ($$) to build them and the product never sees daylight.

So, understanding where this is headed means formalizing a few key concepts.

1. Who are the key players?
2. What is the foundation of each parties technologies?
3. What is each doing to Integrate.
4. What is each doing to isolate?
5. Where is the macro technology headed.

Once you corral these ideas, you can look forward to see how different positions and leverage might push technology in a predictable direction. In part two of this set of articles I intend to start addressing each of the key concepts noted above so we can determine where it’s all headed and be there when the majority of people are headed that way.

Until then, love life, care for one-another and have some great times.

The great thing about WordPress blogs is the power they give YOU to manage your own website. With little understanding of how internet technology like “HTML, PHP etc.” you can add pages, upload graphics and even interact with visitors to your site. Additionally there are virtually limitless plug-ins and templates which can be added to customize your site. Many of these are available at no cost* or are priced to be very accessible. The only pitfall of managing your own WordPress™ site is that (sigh) there ie that “technical” aspect to it. The StormPress hosting and support package is there to help you keep your site up-to-date. Beside various available plug-ins and technologies that can affect your site, outdated software can be a security risk or make the site unusable.

StormPress means “managed” WordPress services that simplify WordPress management for your business or organization. Contact StormDesigns and let us know what you had in mind regarding a WordPress, StormCart or whatever business you need to brainStorm about.

Our mission is to see you focused on building content for your site, not “getting it to work”, Leave that (annoying) stuff to us. (been there, done that!)

(lots)