Whuh oh, here comes AOL's Open Mobile Platform
The parts of the whole will include an XML-based language, a mobile device client, and an application server. Support will extend to AOL’s current API lineup for “AIM, AOL Mail, AOL Video, MapQuest, Userplane, Truveo, Winamp, and others.” I can see people getting together for the AIM integration and possibly the Winamp integration but I don’t know about the other stuff. We’ll see.
CNET’s Matt Asay isn’t too whipped up about the Open Mobile Platform.
“AOL is jumping into open source and offering a new mobile platform. The real news here, however, is that AOL still exists…
…While its new open-source mobile platform will comprise an XML-based, next-generation markup language, an ultra-lightweight mobile device client, and an application server, it will come without broad relevance and a compelling purpose.
You need those last two things to be relevant to developers.”
That’ll be the equalizer here; whether or not developers take a shine to it. We’ll see what happens this summer. I can see AOL perhaps getting a little traction with much younger and much older users. Plus, there’s a monetization scheme for developers so that might provide some incentive.
AOL ANNOUNCES NEW OPEN MOBILE SOFTWARE PLATFORM [dev.aol.com] via CNET Blogs