Mike
don't remember seeing your screen name, so I'm not sure how comfortable you are discussing the subject in the context of Gorilla Gaming. The
problem with the word, "commodity," is that it means so many different things to different people.
Cell phones are a commodity, yet that's what will serve Qualcomm best. Windows is a commodity, yet that has done well for Microsoft. (I realize
that depending on the definition, there are valid arguments for saying that Windows is not a commodity.) To the extent that applications servers
provide an operating system of sorts, I think commoditizing the product category will be good for the industry. I think the real risk is that the
product will become commoditized at the same time that no Gorilla is produced.
Leave it to me to show up as a newbie on a new thread and use a word with a definition that has been debated for weeks. The best definition of a commodity that I know of is in The Innovator's Dilemma, by C.M. Christensen, pg 187-189. In your example of cell phones being a commodity, I agree that the physical phones have been commoditized. However, I don't think Qualcomm's IP is a commodity. The key is whether a company can create marketable value within a product that differentiates it from other products.
Yes, I'm new to the thread. The discussion on app servers caught my eye. I think there is a tremendous opportunity somewhere in this space. I'm attempting to discern whether the opportunity will be in promoting hardware, tools, consulting/solutions or the app server deployment platform itself.
Dennis |
