Add-On-Con Recap: Browsers Aim to Lead All Application Platforms: Part 1
I attended my first Add-On-Con conference on December 11th at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. I was very excited to attend the event, which my company W3i sponsored, as I felt the stage was set for an epic battle between the browsers over who was the best application platform. The winner of this battle in my mind could very well be the dominant application platform for all applications for the next decade. History I felt was unfolding before my own eyes.
I will recap the Add-On-Con conference by breaking down the buzz surrounding browsers, add-on business models, and add-on distribution channels in three postings starting with browser buzz.
Browsers
Google Chrome technically has leaped ahead of competition
- Developers I came into contact with generally agreed that Google Chrome’s support for add-ons is technically superior when considering both user and developer ease of use.
- Chrome is more gracefully handling resource management when many add-ons are installed on the same browser.
- Security is improved with Chrome so that users can better understand what is being required by an add-on and more easily manage. This also supports a lower burden for developers as they do not have to wait to be reviewed by Google in most cases to be listed in their gallery.
- Users can install, and begin using add-ons, without needing to restart the browser.
- Development is faster and easier.
Side note: Google is betting on web-based applications, over native applications, for mobile and desktop devices (read more). They believe that the web has won and that the browser will become the platform that matters and is hence where they are investing most heavily.
On December 8th, Google released Google Chrome Extensions support with their latest version of Google Chrome. This release was the first in which users were able to install browser add-ons which included providing access from their gallery.
- Mozilla’s Jetpack project for Firefox, targeted to release May/June 2010 as part of Firefox 3.7, appears to address the last three points above.
- Jetpack creates a sandbox which limits access to the browser for add-ons and then allows access to the add-on depending on the access required as declared in an add-on’s manifest (similar to what Chrome is doing).
- This improved security is similar to how Chrome manages it. Firefox plans to still review new add-ons before listing them in AOM (http://addons.mozilla.org is Firefox’s add-on gallery) but the review process will be greatly reduced due to a more efficient process. The review process might be under a day in fact
- Jetpack will merge with current Firefox add-on supported technology for a single solution to users in 2010. That is, there will be a single gallery of add-ons for users with no distinction made from those existing to those that are built using Jetpack
- Jetpack allows users to install add-ons without requiring a browser restart
- Jetpack supports an improved ease to develop add-ons by allowing developers to use web development technologies instead of using XUL which is required today.
- Their goal is for Jetpack to be the main method for add-ons by version 4.0 which has a target release of October/November 2010.
- Jetpack creates a sandbox which limits access to the browser for add-ons and then allows access to the add-on depending on the access required as declared in an add-on’s manifest (similar to what Chrome is doing).
- Microsoft is generally regarded as being in a distant third with regards to technical support for add-ons.
Role of the browser
- Mozilla vs. everyone else
- Mozilla’s priority is to focus on users rather than focus on commercial interests.
- Mozilla is not looking to adopt practices just because they are commercially successful for Apple’s iPhone App Store. Apple as a company is viewed as having a commercial focus compared to Mozilla which has a user focus.
- One example that manifests this is that Mozilla will not be supporting DRM (digital rights management) for their marketplace at launch. This may present challenges for developers who wish to succeed with charging for their apps when there won’t be an effective solution for protecting their software from users that choose not to purchase.
- Mozilla’s priority is to focus on users rather than focus on commercial interests.
Ultimately, a commercial success enables an ecosystem which promotes the development of great applications. All of the browser providers, I believe, get this. The only difference is how quickly they adopt new commercial methods. I view Mozilla as being slower to adopt when compared to Microsoft or Google. This may cost them speed to market but may also keep them from making mistakes regarding satisfying users.
Add-ons today
- Firefox released the following figures:
- 1 in 3 Firefox users have at least one add-on installed
- 1.7B cumulative installs to date
- 14,526 add-ons, listed in AMO, as of December 11t
- 5,697 added this yea
- 190M add-ons in us
- Add-ons must get reviewed to be in AMO
- New add-ons are currently reviewed in under two weeks
- Updates are averaging less than a week
- Developers are struggling to maintain cross-browser support
- IE, Chrome, and Firefox are generally viewed as important where as a panel of developers viewed Safari as not worth the hassle.
- One solution suggested by the panel was to consider building your add-on on top of a framework so that you do not have to deal with the complexities of each browser. An example of a framework is 3quency, a W3i product, which allows developers to build sophisticated custom toolbars using a single code-base without having to worry about updates or compatibility with various browsers.
The future of add-ons
- A panel comprised of browser providers (Chrome, Opera, and
Mozilla) discussed that a decentralized mobile web will rule (eventually) and that this will lead to the mobile web (including mobile add-ons) surpassing native device apps as the dominant platform for application developers. - The panel agreed that they all wanted to support increasing the capabilities of the browser so that there are fewer and fewer trade-offs when building applications for the browser compared to building them specifically to any native device.
Stay-tuned for additional postings on Add-on Business Models and Add-on Distribution Channels.
Ryan Weber, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Co-Founder, W3i, LLC
Entrepreneur and pioneer of Internet marketing focusing on increasing revenue and distribution for digital downloads.
Find Out More on How W3i Can Grow Your Consumer App Business
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December 27th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Interesting report, Ryan. Do you know of a forum or conference that just focuses on mobile applications?
December 29th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I agree with your observation that the creation of a vibrant, sustainable ecosystem for add-ons requires the opportunity for commercial success for developers. I’m not sure all the browsers yet understand that…Mozilla’s donation program is a joke in terms of return to developers. All these browser providers need a way to monetize demand for the free ad-ons in their galleries.
December 30th, 2009 at 10:07 am
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January 6th, 2010 at 7:58 am
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January 6th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Hey Brad.
My team or I have attended CTIA, GSMA (Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Congress), and events put on by Informa. Apple and Google have developer conferences that have peaked my interest too but we haven’t attended.
I have been most impressed by the Mobile World Congress (http://www.mobileworldcongress.com/index.htm). This is a massive mobile conference held once annually in Barcelona. It is coming up February 15th – 18th and I am planning on attending. This year there is a full day of sessions on mobile applications. A later day brings Eric Schmidt from Google who will be delivering the key-note. The Mobile Asia Congress was much smaller and I would definately not recommend attending. There is a strong attendance from US mobile companies in Barcelona (stroner prescence then at CTIA in my opinion) plus you find some very interesting European companies there. I think anyone who has been to it will tell you that this is the biggest mobile content and application conference.
Whether you are in to mobile applications or not there is a lot you can learn from the what will soon be the leading application platform.
I would love to learn about others.
Ryan