…called Chrome (not yet live) and presented it in comic form. No beta to play with yet but the concept presented looks exciting. To my mind second generation browsers (FF3 included) have almost reached their limit and this introduces some pretty revolutionary new thinking, certainly in terms of the technology behind it, which should hopefully provide some good competition to further propel innovation across the browser market. Best of all it’ll be entirely Open Source.
I hate to say “I told you so” but this is moving exactly as I predicted last year - the web browser is becoming the operating system.
Lots more detail Google Blogoscoped, ReadWriteWeb and Tech Crunch.
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If there’s one thing that winds me up more than anything else in software development is the misguided notion that new features equal innovation by default. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Microsoft are a perfect example of this dichotomy. Each new version of a product they release includes tonnes of new features which will be of no use to 80% of users whilst at the same time making the product more difficult and obfuscated to use. Just look at all the toolbar and menu items available in Word for a perfect example.
Whilst radical innovation may include completely new ideas and concepts there is a clear distinction between this and simply adding new features for the sake of maintaining a false sense of progress and momentum. Apple understand this and hence produce products which are orders of magnitude easier to use than anyone else. Everything has clearly been well thought through and is joined up ~ using an Apple product is a pleasure rather than a chore.
At its core innovation is not about adding new features (although may sometimes include this); its about creation and improvement through research and experimentation to provide valuable user experiences. Concentrate on the critical core 20% of your service or application and make improvements there before you start bolting on new things (if ever). Careful thinking is always required to exploit new ideas and whilst this is an individual process many people simply don’t seem to get it.
In summary: change is good, change for change sake is not. Innovate, don’t obfuscate!
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Since coming back from China last year I’ve been thinking a lot about the development going on there and the opportunities for outsourcing. This led me to do quite a lot of research but I found it frustrating that there didn’t seem to be a single good overview of the key facts, trends and opportunities in China in an easily digestible and up-to-date form. Having trawled through goodness knows how many white papers and blogs I decided to write one myself and hopefully provide a starting point for others going down the same path.
The presentation covers the following (with a few nice pictures for good measure):
- Key Facts about China
- Geography - Tier 1 & 2 Cities
- Political Situation
- Cultural Differences (West vs East)
- Beijing 2008 Olympics
- Innovation in China
- Web Companies to Watch
- Outsourcing Trends in China
- Outsourcing Opportunities in China
- Interesting Facts
- Pro’s of Outsourcing to China
- Con’s of Outsourcing to China
- Recommendations
- Conclusions
- Further Reading
Whilst I don’t claim to be an expect on the subject I’d like to think I’m a little better read than the average person on the street and I’m happy to take any feedback on board so please let me know what you think! As things change I’ll endeavor to make improvements and keep it updated.
[ Download PDF (18mb) | Request PPT ]
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For further reading here are some China-centric blogs worth checking out:
- The China Vortex - good white paper “Why Indian Software Outsourcing Companies are Outsourcing to China”
- China Web 2.0 Review -next generation web developments in China
- China Law Blog - a blog about Chinese law and the legal issues of doing business in China
- China Economics Blog - a place to find information on important issues for China’s economy including economic growth, inequality, stockmarket, shares, exchange rates, the environment, foreign direct investment & WTO
- China Success Stories - China business success stories and commerce
- All Roads Lead to China - China based news analysis, strategic insight, and advice
- China Challenges - explores the various political, economic, and social implications of the rise of the Peoples Republic of China in the 21st Century
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